Forsaken
by It's The Fear
Summary: Before Daryl was in the group that followed Rick, he had his own group. A trio that he would do anything and everything for. Before he lost all hope in humanity, there was one last ray of light in the world. And she trusted him with everything. Daryl/OC
1. Chapter 1

**_Alright, guys, here goes, my first Walking Dead fanfiction! I hope everyone enjoys the first chapter. It's definitely a lot longer than I had originally intended it to be, but when I started writing, I couldn't stop myself!_**

_**Please leave a review when you're done reading. I love getting feedback, and it's good to know what I'm doing wrong so I can improve myself for the following chapters. Thanks a lot for clicking on the story, guys!**  
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><p><em>You<em>_ have __got __to __be __fucking __kidding __me._

Daryl's mind was screaming obscenities as he watched the scene that was playing out before him. They were everywhere. Absolutely everywhere.

"What the hell do we do now?"

Daryl glanced over to the man kneeling beside him. He noticed the glint of anger that lurked in his brother's eyes, and knew without saying a world to Merle that they both felt the same way about the situation.

"How the hell am I supposed to know? Those bloody walkers are everywhere."

"Well, hell, Daryl, you might want o think a little bit faster. If we waste anymore time, she might-"

"Damnit, I know, Merle. Would you just shut up for a second?"

Merle grunted in response to his young brother's order. If her life weren't at stake right now, he would've slapped his brother upside the head for speaking to him like that.

But now was not the time for a brotherly squabble. They had to focus on a way to get inside the small pharmacy without attracting too much attention. Or worse, getting bit.

Finally, Daryl turned away from the scene beyond the shrub they had taken refuge behind. He turned to his brother and began to inform him of what he had come up with so far.

"You need to draw them away from the pharmacy to give me enough time to get in there, grab her, and get out."

"And just how the hell am I supposed to do that?" Merle sneered.

"How did I learn to hot wire a car?"

"Me."

"See that car over there? Yeah, go hot wire it, genius. Honk that horn like hell when you drive by them. Hell, even run a few of those bastards over if you get the chance. Give me five minutes. _Five_ minutes, Merle, and then drive to the parking lot in the back and we'll meet you there."

Merle shot one last glance behind the bushes to get a quick visual before he put his brother's plan into action. He shot Daryl a quick nod before slipping his handgun into his holster.

Daryl watched his brother as he snuck his way towards the nearest car. They only had one shot. If they messed this up, she was a goner.

_Damnit.__ Why __did __you __let__ her __go__ alone?__ You__ fucking __idiot.__What__ the __hell__ were__ you __thinking?_

She's gone on a medicine run by herself before, and it had always gone smoothly. Well, about as smoothly as it could go with walkers crawling all over the streets. But this morning, Daryl had noticed an unusual increase in walkers. He mentioned it before she left, but she had shrugged it off and promised the brothers that it would be no big deal.

_Trust__ me,__ guys;__ I__'__ll__ be __back __before __you __know __it._

It wasn't very long after she said that that they received a call from her over their walkie-talkies. The walkers had her surrounded, and she couldn't figure a way out of the pharmacy without running into a different horde.

So Merle and Daryl did the only thing they could think of. They packed up their most trusted weapons and went to get her out of the mess she had unintentionally gotten herself stuck in.

Merle's laughter over the roaring of a passing car brought Daryl back from his thoughts. Merle slammed a fist down on the car's horn and let it rip throughout the streets.

Daryl bit back a groan and could only hope and pray his plan wouldn't attract more walkers to the area. A shiver went down his spine at the thought of walkers crowding to the area, desperate for a meal. Maybe this wasn't the best plan.

He waited for the horde to chase after the car, their attention peeled on their first meal in Lord knows how long. Daryl waited a few more seconds before emerging from behind the shrub, keeping his crossbow close and loaded, just to be safe.

There were still a few walkers lurking about outside of the pharmacy. As Daryl passed by them, he effortlessly took aim with his near silent weapon and took them out without breaking a sweat.

He only had five minutes to get into that over sized pharmacy, find her, and get the hell out of there. He could only hope Merle would keep track of the time and meet him in the back before a horde of hungry walkers did.

Walking over to the three walkers he dropped, Daryl quickly retrieved his arrows, knowing he didn't have much more time to make it to the parking lot in the back of the strip mall.

He crossed the street in no time at all, thankfully. He shot one last glance back onto the streets, just to make sure none of those sneaky sons of bitches had followed him. He was the only one still standing in the streets. Just the way he liked it.

Pulling the heavy door open, it let out a loud creaking sound that almost made him cringe. He looked around quickly as he paused at the door, his dark eyes scanning for any movement. There was none. He couldn't even hear a sound.

On an average day, with the walkers roaming the city streets, Daryl would've considered that to be a good thing. Unfortunately, this was one of those few times he wanted to hear some kind of noise. A drop of something that could've been caused by her getting spooked by the sudden opening of the door, her light footsteps approaching him, even just her voice. Any sign that she was still alive.

He thought about calling out, but he bit back the urge at the possibility of it only bringing walkers towards him. So instead, he did the only thing he could think to do and quickly went isle by isle, looking for any sign of her.

_God __damnit,__ girl,__ where __the __hell__ are __you?_

He had gone halfway through the third isle when he heard something fall in the back of the store. He froze for only a second before he made his way towards the noise. He knew he was on the right track when he heard faint swearing follow the clutter of items that had dropped.

Daryl didn't waste any time. He had already wasted enough time searching through the pharmacy isles. He bolted to the back of the store and followed the sounds of shuffling and cursing.

Reaching the end of a hallway, Daryl threw open the only door there. A shrill scream greeted him as he burst through. There she was. Finally. But what the hell was she doing?

"Cass, what the hell are you doing? Did you get bit?" Daryl asked, stepping closer to her.

"What are you doing? Get out of here! Can't you see that I'm half naked, here?"

Oh, yes, Daryl Dixon could definitely see that she was half naked. It took every inch of whatever sanity he had left to ignore that nice little fact. If he didn't have a mere couple of minutes left to get the hell out of here, he could've stood to stare a little bit longer.

Cass fumbled with her shirt, sucking in air as she rubbed against the long cut on her torso. She swatted his hand away as he reached for it, trying to get a better look. She put the thin white shirt back on, ignoring the cold blood it had soaked up as it rubbed against her skin. She looked up at Daryl, relief in her eyes to know that he had finally made it to her. Maybe the walkers had dispersed outside.

"We have to get going, now."

"But I'm not done cleaning-"

"Cassidy, we do _not _have time for this. Merle's going to meet us out back. There's a shit load of walkers out there, and believe me when I say they're looking real damn hungry. We have to leave, now."

The moment Daryl said her full name; she knew this wasn't the time to be joking around to push his buttons. Since she had first met him a few weeks back, he had only called her Cassidy once, and that was when she almost got mauled to death by a walker.

She didn't waste time saying another word. Reaching towards the sink; she grabbed her black sweater and threw it over her shoulder. Slinging an arm of her backpack over her other shoulder, Cass followed Daryl out of the staff bathroom.

Her stomach hurt more than anything as they ran down the hall, but her heart hurt even more. She could hear the walkers pounding on the entrance to the pharmacy. It almost drowned out the pounding in her chest that made her want to fall over and give up right there.

"Come on. Move faster." Daryl urged, reaching back and grabbing a tight hold of Cass's wrist.

Cass had to practically sprint to keep up with Daryl's long legs and quick foot steps. But she didn't mind at this point. She especially didn't mind when she heard the glass of the front door shatter into a million pieces.

A small scream slipped through her drip lips, startled by the sudden burst of noise. She glanced over her shoulder quickly to see a horde of walkers making their way towards them.

"Oh my God. They're right behind us!"

"Keep moving!" Daryl called out. "Damnit, where the hell is the back door?"

Every door was locked, leaving them with nowhere to go, and walkers fast approaching. Cass glanced towards the other end of the hall and saw boxed stacked up against something. Her heart skipped a beat when she made out what it was conveniently hiding. A door! The only other door that could lead them to safety.

"Over there! Daryl, come on!" Cass pointed out, this time pulling Daryl along behind her.

He let go of her wrist and prepared his crossbow. They were getting closer, now. A lot closer than either survivor would've liked.

"Get the door, Cass." Daryl turned his back to the young girl and took aim at the nearest walker. Carefully making his way to the body once it dropped, Daryl plucked the arrow out of the walker's forehead.

Cass knocked over the boxes in her way. They crashed onto the floor, making even more noise as they gathered at Cass's feet. But at this point, she didn't care. Reaching for the doorknob, Cass pulled it with every ounce of strength she had left.

But it was locked. Of _course _it would be locked. She glanced back at Daryl and saw the endless walkers coming at him. They didn't have much time. She had to make a move, and make a move now. Otherwise, she and Daryl wouldn't live to see another day. And there was no way in hell that that was an option.

Turning back to the door, Cass closed her fist and took in a deep breath to steady herself. She was already in pain, what was a little additional pain to another region of her body?

She punched through the glass that sat beside the doorknob. It was only several inches wide, but Cass was still able to get her fist through without hitting metal. Thank God. She gritted her teeth as pain shot through her entire arm. She ignored the sharp glass that dug into her skin as she reached around to unlock the door.

When she finally unlocked it, she turned back to look at Daryl, who was forced to back up almost right against her. "Daryl, I got it open, let's go!" She said as she swung the door to freedom open.

Daryl grabbed his last arrow from the final walker he dropped and followed her outside. He heard Merle pull the car to a screeching stop as he and Cass made their way towards it.

"Get the hell in here! Those bastards just won't stop coming!" Merle hollered out the window as he unlocked the doors. Daryl jumped in the front seat and Cass wasted no time throwing herself into the back.

Cass bit back the pain of her bloodied and broken hand as they made their way into the small house she learned to call home over the past few weeks. It wasn't much, but it was a secluded house, and there were rarely any walkers in the area. So, for them, it was pretty damn close to perfect.

Merle plopped down onto the recliner in the living room and threw his feet up onto the coffee table. "God damn, that was one hell of a rush."

"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm sure you had a lot more fun driving around out there in your fancy new car, didn't you, you bastard?" Daryl grinned, playfully smacking his brother on the back of the head as he handed him a beer.

Daryl took a seat on the couch across from his brother and took a swig from his beer. It was some crappy, local beer that Lord knows he had never heard of. But hey, it was beer, and that was good enough for him.

Cass didn't say a word to either brother once they got into the car. She spent the entire ride home trying to calm her racing heart and block out that pain that now shot through her entire body. The minute they got home, Cass made her way to the bathroom to remove the remaining glass out of her hand. Plus, she still had that nasty cut on her stomach to take care of.

She locked the door behind her and took a deep breath, glancing into the mirror. Her tried reflection made her heart sink into her chest. She didn't always used to look this bad.

Her long dark hair used to be shiny and smooth. Now, all it was was a clump of grease and loose strands that she barely managed to tie up behind her. Dark circles had set up a permanent home under her light gray eyes. God, what she would do for some makeup right now. Go figure, she barely used the stuff when the world was normal. Now that the world has gone completely to hell, part of her kind of wished she had some. Then maybe she wouldn't look like such a God damn nightmare. Christ, how did the zombies not think she was one of them?

A knock on the door made her nearly jump out of her skin.

"Cass, are you alright in there?" It was Daryl on the other side.

She sighed as her head dropped. A glint from another stray shard of glass caught her eyes as she carefully dug it out. "I'm fine, Daryl. Just doing girly stuff in here. You know how it goes. Periods and stuff."

She heard him let out a low chuckle. "Ah, whatever. Cass, open the door, would you?"

Cass looked at the door and cocked an eyebrow as if he could see her reaction. "What? Didn't you hear what I just said? Periods and stuff."

"And is that "stuff" you cleaning out your busted up hand and that cut on your stomach?" Silence from the inside of the bathroom assured Daryl he was on the right track. "Let me in, Cass. Let me help you clean those bad boys out."

Defeated, Cass unlocked the door and let him in. "Yeah, yeah."

Daryl closed the door behind him and cocked his head towards the sink. Without saying a word, Cass hopped up onto the marble counter and watched Daryl through tired eyes.

Luckily, up until now, the adrenaline from the brush with death had kept her mind off the pain. But right now, it was burning through her with an excruciating pain she couldn't identify with.

Daryl went into Cass's bag and took out the supplies she managed to bring back from the pharmacy run. He opened up the alcohol bottle and set it down beside her, taking a hold of her bloodied hand.

"Jesus. You really did a number on yourself this time, didn't you?"

Cass shrugged, trying her best to hide the pain. "Yeah, well, it was either my hand or our lives. I figured I could spare my hand for a few days." She laughed under her breath. "I'm not going to lie, though. For a second I thought I wasn't going to be able to break the glass. They always make it seem so easy in the movies, but it's never like that in real life – ow! You son of a bitch!"

Daryl looked up at her from under his stray dark hairs and smirked. "You left some glass in your battle wounds, hero."

Cass sucked in a deep breath as Daryl removed the last few pieces she had overlooked. The bleeding, for the most part, had ceased. She had used her sweater to put pressure on the wound on the ride back.

_Oh.__ My__ sweater. _She thought solemnly. It was one of the few things she still had from her old life.

A painful stinging brought her back to her current situation as Daryl poured alcohol over her cuts. She shut her eyes and tried to block out the pain as he cleaned her wounds.

"It's alright. It'll be over soon. And then we'll get you a nice cold beer. I think you earned one today."

Cass opened her eyes and smiled. "Oh, thanks. I'm glad I sacrificed my _hand_ for a beer."

Daryl just chuckled in response, shaking his head at her sarcasm. He kept his head low as he finished cleaning up her cuts, getting ready to bandage it.

Cass watched him carefully as he worked on her. Her smile began to fade as she studied every inch of his face. He was older than her, probably much older than either of them would care to admit. But what did that really matter anymore, anyway? His face was blackened from dirt and grime from fixing his motorcycle only a few hours before. His short, dark hair was disheveled from him constantly running his hand through it. But she didn't mind. In fact, she thought he looked better this way than when he was clean and proper. Not that she had ever really seen him when he was clean and proper…

"Alright, all done. Now, take that shirt off and let me take care of the other one." He said it so casually, as if it were nothing to ask her to strip for him. It caught Cass completely off guard.

"Wait, what? No, I can take care of that one by myself. Thanks for the offer, though." Cass fought against the blush that burned her cheeks as she pushed herself off the counter.

She stood with her back against the marble top, her hands resting at the edge of it as she found herself face to face with her savior. He was so close she could smell him.

"You don't know the first thing about cleaning a wound. Now, take your shirt off."

"I use alcohol to disinfect it and bandage it up after. How hard could that _really_ be, Daryl?"

Daryl leaned back against the wall and cocked an eyebrow at her. "What? Are you shy all of a sudden, Cass? It's not like I've never seen a woman before, you know. I promise you, I've seen it all."

Cass pointed a finger at him. "Oh, don't you go bringing all your conquests into this, Daryl Dixon. You've seen enough of me for the day."

"Cass." Daryl said with a heavy sigh.

The truth was, Daryl was right, and she knew it. If she was left alone to disinfect the cut, she would stop the second it started to sting and just shrug it off as, "it'll disinfect on its own." She never did like cleaning out cuts. It always burned way too much.

"Fine." She went to pull her thin shirt over her head, but her bandaged hand made it trickier than she would've liked.

"Here, I'll get that for you." Daryl reached forward and took a hold of the bottom of her shirt.

Cass shut her eyes from utter embarrassment as Daryl carefully lifted her shirt over her head. He tossed it onto the toilet seat and studied the cut, trying carefully not to let his eyes travel just a few inches north.

"What the hell did you do?" Daryl asked, grabbing the alcohol bottle again.

She was so embarrassed she barely felt the stinging on her stomach as he worked on her. "I was running from walkers and took a dive into a building I passed by. I didn't realize the glass door had been broken until it cut me."

Cass tilted her head towards the ceiling as her unharmed hand gripped onto the edge of the counter. She knew she was blushing now, despite her best efforts, and she silently prayed that Daryl wouldn't glance up any time soon.

She shut her eyes, trying to ignore his warm, calloused hands running over her flat stomach. His fingers working gently on her skin as he tried not to hurt her. God, was she glad that they hadn't had much to eat since the world went to hell. Unintentionally, she had shed the last ten pounds she had been struggling with since high school. And apparently, just in time, too.

_Could__ be__ worse.__ Could __be__ a lot__worse._

"Alright, all done. Just have to bandage it up. Turn around. I don't want to close the bandages over your cut."

_Oh.__ There__ it __goes__ getting__ even__ worse._

She turned her back to him and watched him work in the mirror. He reached around her, his chest grazing against her back, and her entire body tensed. Oh God, he was way too close right now.

Daryl smiled to himself when he felt her tense up. It had been way too long since he felt the smooth, soft skin of a woman against him. _Yeah,__and__ now __is__ definitely __not__ the __time __to __start __with __that__ shit._ He warned himself.

"Alright, all done here. See, it wasn't as bad as your thought, right?"

Cass kept her back towards Daryl and made eye contact with him through the mirror. "I'm. Mortified."

A grin spread across Daryl's face as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "You're welcome, Cass. I'm going to go see how your beer is doing. Hopefully Merle didn't drink the damn thing."

Cass watched Daryl leave the bathroom and let out a shaky sigh. After a few moments, she reached for her t-shirt and let out a frustrated groan with what she saw. A huge chuck of fabric was missing where she had gotten cut, and the shirt was soaked in her own blood. There was no way in hell that, after getting cleaned and bandaged up, she was going to get bloody all over again.

_Seriously, __could__ this__ day __get __any__ freaking __worse?_

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><p><em><strong>Well, what was the first chapter. What do you guys think? Please review! Thanks for reading, everyone!<strong>  
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	2. Population Dead

**I just want to take the time to thank everyone for reading and reviewing the first chapter of this story. It honestly means a lot to me to know there are so many people out there who are enjoying my writing. Thanks to everyone who put this story on update alerts, and for those of you who added this story to your favourites. Getting so much feedback definitely pushes me to keep going with a story, and it's so refreshing to be in a fandom that has so many people who leave feedback.**

**I would appreciate it if you could keep up the reviews and let me know how you're feeling about the story as it progresses. I read every review, and each one helps me to write things you guys are interested in reading.**

**Once again, thanks everyone, and I really hope you enjoy the next chapter!**_  
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><p><em>Oh, fuck. It was happening again.<em>

Cass heard a loud bang from the living room. What the hell was that? For a split second, she thought of plucking herself out of her computer chair to go and investigate, but eventually decided against it.

It was probably just her sister, stumbling into their apartment drunk off her ass again. It _was _Friday night, after all. And if there was one thing that Cass could count on in this world, it was her older sister stumbling through their apartment, knocking everything in her way over. Joanne was definitely good at that.

Cass took a moment to calm her heart beat down. God damnit, when did she become such a chicken shit? Oh, right. It was when she decided to read up on ghost stories and serial killers late at night.

She turned back to her computer screen and opened up a window connecting her to the endless possibilities of the internet. She tapped her finger on the backspace button, contemplating what to type in next. She had just done research on an upcoming novel she had been waiting forever for. Two months, and then it would finally be hers.

_About __fucking __time.__ I__'__ve__ only__ been__ waiting__ for__ that__ shit __for__ over__ a __year._

She rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wondered how she had such patience. She heard her sister's bedroom door slowly creak open, as if moving at an impossibly slow speed, and found herself questioning her patience once more.

It's one thing to come home drunk and causing a ruckus once in a while. Maybe when you just turned legal to drink that would be okay. But now? When she's twenty-six? _Time__ to __grow__ up,__ Joanne._

Cass lifted up her hand to begin typing on her keyboard when she heard her sister let out a loud scream. Cass froze, her heart nearly leaping out from her chest. Never in her life had she heard someone scream like that. It sounded like she was being murdered.

Without wasting another second, Cass jumped up from her computer chair and bolted out of her bedroom. Joanne's room was cracked open as Cass barged into it, flicking on the light to illuminate the cramped bedroom. That was when she saw it.

Someone was in her sister's bedroom. A man was in her sister's bedroom. And he was…_eating__ her?_

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><p>Cass awoke in a cold sweat, gasping for air as her eyes darted around the room she had retired to earlier in the night. She hunched over in her bed, burying her head in her hands as she tried to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding so strongly in her chest; she swore she was going to throw up right then and there. A twisting knot grew in her stomach as she shut her eyes, trying to steady herself.<p>

She found she still had nightmares about the outbreak, despite the fact that she tried desperately to lock those memories away in the back of her mind. Some days were definitely more interesting than others. Despite her best efforts, when she lay down and closed her eyes at night, she found every memory, every terrorizing moment flood back to her.

Cass groaned as she tossed the thin bed sheet off her small frame. She had no idea what time it was, or even how long she'd managed to sleep as she pushed herself out of the bed. From past experiences, Cass knew that if she tried to lie down and go back to sleep, her nightmare would only continue. Go figure. When you have awesome dreams and wake up, they never start again when you force yourself to go back to sleep. Only the nightmares do.

The house was quiet. Unusually quiet. It wasn't really something she had become used to, just yet. On any given night, she could hear Merle and Daryl squabbling with each other throughout the night. She would never admit it to them, but sometimes she found herself being lulled to sleep by their voices. Stuck in a world where everything around her was dead, sometimes it felt good to know that she wasn't completely alone.

But tonight, apparently, she was. No one was on guard? That wasn't like the Dixon brothers at all.

Cass crept into the room that was right beside hers and saw Merle's sleeping figure passed out over the bed sheet. She smiled to herself and shook her head as she made her way into the room, intent on grabbing the empty beer bottle on the bed before he hurt himself with it.

Cass walked out of Merle's room without being detected, and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack. He deserved to sleep through the night. Neither brother ever really did, and it drove her insane. Sure, they let her take guard sometimes, but they always tried to keep the duty to themselves to spare her.

And boy, did she ever hate that sometimes.

She hated that sometimes they thought of her as a weakling who always needed rescuing. Sure, she was nowhere near as strong as the two brothers, and she definitely wasn't nearly as brave. They had been brought up in very different households, one that didn't teach her how to hunt and survive on your own for unknown amounts of time. But she still wasn't as useless as she felt they sometimes made her out to be.

Cass opened up the counter under the sink and bent over to place the empty into the beer case. They still had a few cases left, but she knew that would go sooner than she would like. With the world gone to hell, there really wasn't anything better to do than sit around with a gun in one hand and a beer in the other.

"God damnit, girl. I almost just shot you in the ass with an arrow." Daryl warned, lowering his crossbow as he stepped into the kitchen.

The sudden burst of his deep voice interrupting the silence of the kitchen made her jump. Closing the cabinet door, she turned around and watched him make his way towards the fridge. Grabbing a beer, he cracked it open and took a long swig.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're real upset about the _almost_ part." She rolled her eyes and pushed past him, grabbing her own beer and twisting it open. "Aren't you supposed to be on watch, anyway? What are you doing in here drinking?" She sighed and shook her head at him, a smile spread across her thin lips. "Men just can't do anything right."

Daryl scoffed and patted her on the head, messing up her hair more than it already was. "Ah, shut it, Cass. I'm going to go back to the roof. Are you going to join me, or sit here by yourself and drink yourself into a coma?"

She sneered and spread her arm out in front of her, motioning for him to start walking, and she would follow shortly behind him. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and turned on his heels, heading towards the roof.

It was actually nice outside. Cass admired the cool summer breeze as it brushed across her tired skin. She took a seat in one of the lawn chairs the guys had set up and set her beer down beside her bare feet. It felt nice, the cool breeze, sitting on a roof in the middle of the night with a good friend and enjoying a nice cold beer. It almost made her forget that they were living in an apocalypse. Almost.

"How long have you been out here?" She asked, glancing at Daryl.

Daryl shrugged and put his beloved crossbow down on the asphalt. "I don't know. I lost track of time." He glanced at the group of empty beet bottles scattered beside him. "However long it took me to drink all those?"

Cass smirked. "So, all of like, five minutes?" She had seen him drink. She knew he could put those babies away like nothing else she had ever seen.

Daryl ignored her joke and took another gulp of beer. "I haven't seen a single walker all night. I think that's a good sign."

Cass groaned so quietly, Daryl almost didn't hear it. She was hoping they could have a nice night without bringing up the walkers. Looks like that wasn't going to happen anymore.

"That definitely is a good sign. After our close call in that pharmacy, I'd say no walkers out here are a _very _good thing. I have to ask, though." She took another swig, as if for courage. "What are we going to do?"

Daryl gave her a puzzled look, and she continued. "I mean, obviously the police and army have all gone to hell. We know that from the first night I ran into you guys."

Daryl chuckled and reminisced about the night they first ran into Cass, tilting his head up towards the clear sky. "You have to admit, though. That was a pretty amazing night."

Cass didn't say a word. It wasn't that great of a night for her. Not as she watched her sister slowly become one of them.

"And we don't really have the means of looking for help, or other survivors. So what do we do? Sit tight and hope for a miracle?"

"Ah, Cass, we don't need a miracle. We're just fine on our own." He looked over at the younger woman and saw the doubt that lurked in her eyes. "We wouldn't even make it that far if we left. I mean, we barely have enough gas to make it out of the city. We'd have to stop to pump gas from every car we passed, and even then, that's a tricky little bitch. If anything, our incident at the pharmacy should be a perfect example of how screwed we could be if we don't plan things out properly.

He was right. Damnit, she hated when he was right. She rarely let him know it when he was. She didn't want to hear him gloat.

"Speaking of pharmacy, how're your cuts healing?"

She glanced down at her busted hand and made a fist before releasing it. It still hurt like a bitch, but somehow her nightmare had made the pain fade. "They're healing as best they can, I suppose. Thanks for helping me out with them. I'm sure it would've gone a lot differently if you hadn't."

He shot her a coy smile as he toyed with the beer bottle in his hand. "Of course it would've. That's why I was so intent on helping you with them."

Cass rolled her eyes subconsciously and brought her beer to her mouth. She knew that the last couple of weeks would have gone completely differently if she hadn't managed to find the Dixon brothers. There was no doubt in her mind that she wouldn't even be alive.

Someone was definitely watching over her the night they found her.

Daryl watched Cass as she stared down the street, her mind clearly elsewhere. He carefully watched every feature, every movement in her eyes, reading her like a book. He knew she had a nightmare, he had heard her muffled screams from out here. That was why he had gone down in the first place, to check on her and make sure no walkers had found their way into the house. That, and to get another beer.

She never fully told them about what happened before she met them, though he knew she must've gone through hell and back. He could see that much in her demeanor from the very beginning.

"I heard you screaming not too long ago. You have another nightmare?" His voice had gotten low as he spoke to her. He leaned forward, his beer still in his hands as he rested his forearms on his legs.

"Just a bad dream. You know how it is." She shrugged it off as if it was nothing, but he saw past the front.

"About your sister, again?"

That's right. She had almost forgotten she told him about her sister. Late one night, she woke up in a cold sweat, panting for air while warm tears streamed down her face. When she had woken up, she was still screaming.

Merle was on watch that night, sitting by himself up on the roof. Daryl had taken refuge in the room beside her. The poor bastard had heard everything.

_Daryl__ burst __through__ her__ room __like __nothing __she __had__ ever__ seen __before.__ Armed__ with__ nothing __but __a__ small__ knife,__ which__ was __the__ closest__ thing__ to__ him __when __he__ had__ woken__ up,__ he__ scanned__ the__ room__ with__ narrow __eyes,__ searching __for __a__ walker,__ fearing__ the __worst__ for__ the __young __girl.__But__ she__ was __by__ herself._

_ "Cass, what the hells the matter? You alright?" He hurried to her bed, taking a seat in front of her._

_ "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She kept murmuring under her breath. She kept her face buried in her hands as she tried to calm herself down. Her face was flush; embarrassed that she had made enough noise to wake Daryl in the next room._

_ Setting down the knife on the nightstand beside her, Daryl reached an arm out. He carefully lifted her chin so she could look up at him through blurry eyes._

_ "Now, this ain't nothing to be sorry about. You let out whatever you need to let out."_

_ Cass lifted her hand and rested it over Daryl's. It felt good, feeling the warmth of another living being against her cold skin. How long had it been since she had felt the comfort another human being can offer?_

_She looked up at Daryl from loose strands of her dark hair, her thick lashes clumped together from tears. She caught Daryl completely off guard as she lurched forward, wrapping her arms around his neck._

_ He hesitated for a second, his entire body going rigid as he felt her lean into him, sobbing onto his shoulder. His body relaxed when he realized that all she was looking for was comfort. And between him and his brother, Daryl felt a lot better about him being the one to offer it to her._

_ Daryl reached around Cass, his hands finding refuge on the small of her back. "Your family?"_

_ Cass nodded solemnly. "My sister. I watched her turn into one of them. She got so sick so fast. I tried to help her, but there was nothing I could do."_

_ Daryl nodded, his stubble gently scraping against her cheek. He couldn't even imagine how she felt. Just the thought of him losing Merle made his blood boil. Sure, he and his brother didn't always get along, but when it came down to it, Merle was his flesh and blood, and there was nothing he wouldn't do for that man._

_ "There's nothing anyone can do once someone gets bit. Don't beat yourself up over something you had no control over."_

_ Cass nodded and held onto Daryl until she passed out._

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><p>Daryl remembered that night very well. After Cass had passed out in his arms, he had laid her down on the bed and carefully tucked her back in, trying not to wake her again. When he picked up his knife and turned to leave the room, he heard her quiet voice fill the room, asking him to stay the night with her.<p>

He knew exactly what she meant by it, but the man inside him couldn't help but flinch at her question. It had been long, too long, since he had been in bed with a woman. Before the walkers took over the streets, finding a woman just wasn't a concern for the younger Dixon brother. Once the walkers took over, Daryl mentally kicking himself in the ass for not taking advantage of the willing women he had come across in the weeks before.

And then there she was, lying in bed. Scared, alone, and asking him to stay the night with her. It was enough to drive any man insane.

But Daryl granted her wish and laid down beside her, on his back, with his hands entangled with one another on his stomach. He remembered she had turned onto her side and watched him, his eyes staring at the ceiling above, as if he were thinking of the meaning of life. In reality, he just kept reminding himself not to reach over and touch her, no matter how badly he wanted to.

He remembered she edged closer to him, resting her head on his chest as she draped an arm over his broad chest. As her breathing slowed and she fell back into a deep sleep, Daryl lifted his arm out from underneath her and let it rest across her waist.

Closing his eyes, he remembered taking in the scent of the younger woman. She was like nothing he could remember. She smelt of innocence in a world that no longer had any.

Cass finished her beer and abruptly got up, unintentionally smashing her injured hand on the armrest of her chair. "Ah, son of a bitch!" She hissed, dropping the beer bottle onto her chair.

"Damnit, Cass. You've got to be careful with that thing." Daryl warned her, putting his beer down beside his chair and walking over to her.

He took a gentle hold of her hand, carefully eying the bandages to see if she had reopened any of the wounds. She stood there, in silence as Daryl held her hand, her big eyes staring up at him as he kept his head down.

Cass didn't say a word as she took a step forward, suddenly feeling the effect of the beer she just practically chugged down on an empty stomach. Daryl's head was still down, examining her hand when she reached up with her other hand and rested her palm on his cheek.

He glanced up at her, a confused look plastered on his face as she closed the rest of the space between them. She tried to calm her shot nerves as she stood up on her toes, reaching up so her lips could finally touch Daryl's.

Every inch of Daryl's body froze when he felt Cass place her lips on his. He didn't let go of her hand. He just stood there, like an idiot, feeling her tongue run along his lips, begging silently for entrance.

He shouldn't be doing this. It was stupid and reckless to kiss her back. But he did anyway. The hungry man inside of him wouldn't let him pull away from her.

Finally letting go of her broken hand, Daryl reached up and cupped her face in both hands, pulling her closer to his body as he opened his mouth, desperate to feel her inside of it. She moaned, crushed against his mouth, as a smile spread across her lips.

It had been so long, much longer than he would like to admit, since he felt a woman against him, since he had felt a woman kiss him with such need. It made him twitch the way she kissed him.

She tasted so good in his mouth as his tongue fought with hers. He didn't want to pull away, but he had to for air. He rested his forehead against hers, her hands finding their way to his broad shoulders. He didn't let go of her face as he held it in his hands, staring into her eyes, searching for the doubt that he needed to see to stop.

"Cass, we probably shouldn't-"

She silenced him quickly with another kiss. She wasn't stupid; she knew she shouldn't have kissed him in the first place. Lord knows how old he is, but it's more than obvious he's got plenty of years on her. Plus, she doesn't know where he's been, or even if he had someone before the world went to shit. All she knew was that right now, this felt right. And that was all she needed.

Daryl leaned down to kiss her, his fingers entangling themselves in her hair as his tongue explored her warm mouth. Her body was completely pressed against his now, every curve of her small frame fitting perfectly against him. He felt himself swelling more and more with every moan that slipped out of her mouth and into his.

He broke away from her lips with a growl, pulling himself away from her and taking a step back. His hands dropped to his sides, his eyes dark with desperate hunger and need.

"Daryl, what's wrong?"

He opened his mouth to answer her, God, where should he start, when a loud scream rang out in the streets below them.

Instinctively, Cass jumped back, edging away from the edge of the roof as Daryl bolted forward, bending over to grab his crossbow as he neared the ledge.

Cass covered her mouth, her breathing frantic as she followed Daryl, looking over the second story ledge. She watched as a girl, probably around the same age as her, ran desperately down the street, crying out frantically as she struggled for air.

"Is there a walker? What's going on?" Cass was almost afraid to hear his answer.

There were trees in the way, Daryl noted, as he adjusted his view to try and see what the girl was running from. Oh yeah, there was a walker alright. Scratch that, make that four walkers.

Daryl reached over to Cass and pulled her down onto her knees beside him. There was no way in hell he was going to risk the walkers seeing them.

He loaded his crossbow and took aim at the closest walker to the girl and was about to fire when Cass stopped him.

"Daryl, there's more." She warned him, pointing to where the girl was running.

Daryl pulled the crossbow back and scanned the area. Cass was right. They seemed to be coming out from everywhere, as if they had been sitting patiently, waiting for this girl to come their way to satisfy their hunger.

Daryl counted ten, and they just kept on coming. He glanced down at his crossbow. Five arrows. He didn't have enough to do any damage to the horde of walkers that had emerged.

If he tried to help the girl, he would use all his arrows and would be stranded with none. And getting out of the house to grab her and the arrows seemed much too difficult. There were too many of them to go around pulling the arrows out. And who knew how long the remaining walkers would be hanging around. If their house got swarmed while he was waiting for the numbers to die down outside, he would be signing their death certificates. He didn't even know if she had already been bit. As much as it killed him inside, he had his own to take care of, and she wasn't one of them.

Daryl glanced back at the window he and Cass had climbed out of to get onto the roof. It was closed. It was too heavy to open without drawing their attention to the house. So he did the only thing he could think of.

Reaching out and grabbing Cass, he brought her down to the ground of the roof. He pulled her head into his chest and held her there, close to him as the woman's screams grew louder, more terrified.

Cass clamped a hand over her mouth as warm tears streamed down her face. She heard the woman beg for mercy, crying out to a God all of them knew didn't exist. Her screams were like nothing Cass had ever heard in her life. Cass felt Daryl cover her ears, trying to shield her from the sounds, but it didn't do much.

Shutting her eyes, Cass struggled to breathe as she listened to the woman being torn apart. She was shaking; terrified to open her eyes or even take another breath.

How could he just sit there? Why wasn't he helping her?

The woman's cries and agonizing screams went on for what seemed forever. Cass wanted to pull away from Daryl, shocked that he wasn't going to help her. But her body wouldn't let her move.

All she could do was open her eyes and glance up at Daryl's emotionless face. She stared into his deep blue eyes and found herself staring into the eyes of a monster.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave me a review! <strong>


	3. Into The Darkness

**Once again, thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed my story so far, as well as those who have added my story, and myself, to their favourites list, or onto their alerts. It really means a lot to me, guys.**

**Please, don't forget to review. Let me know if you guys would prefer more romance, or more action/horror. I'd love to know what you guys think so I can write what you want to read!**

**Enjoy, everyone!**

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><p>Cass climbed through the window, Daryl following closely behind her, as Merle came towards them, a baseball bat in his hand, ready to kick ass and take names.<p>

"What the hell is going on out there?" Merle asked gruffly, his eyes darting back and forth between his brother and Cass.

Daryl lowered the heavy window painfully slowly, intent on not letting any noise out into the night. When it was finally closed, he hit the lock and tried to lift up the window, just to make sure he did lock it. You could never be too sure, nowadays.

There was a time in his life when that _click _noise you get when you lock a door or window had made him feel safe. When his dad was on drunken angry rampages, all Daryl needed growing up was to hear that noise. Suddenly, that noise didn't seem as reassuring as it used to.

Finally, Daryl turned to face his brother.

"There's fucking walkers out there. A lot of 'em. And they just got their next meal."

Cass couldn't bear to make eye contact with Daryl when he said that. Something about the way he said it, so casually, as if he had been around scenes like that all his life like it was no big deal, sent a shiver down her spine.

"God damn." Merle sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "I thought it was you, Cass."

Cass smiled faintly, touched that he was worried she had fallen victim to the walkers. She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head, her voice low as she spoke, a tremble buried in every word. "No, I'm alright, Merle. Thanks."

"Good. Let's say we keep it that way, alright? You're too cute to die." Merle chuckled, patting her head as his eyes fell back to Daryl. The smile faded the moment they made eye contact. Cass saw it and wondered why, but didn't dare question it. It wasn't her place.

"Daryl, a word?"

Daryl nodded and walked past Cass without saying a word or even glancing in her direction. Cass said nothing as she watched them head down the stairs. Instead, she turned around to face the window, her mind wrapped up in her thoughts.

With her arms still wrapped around herself, she stared off into the empty sky, reliving the last few minutes of her life.

That girl was dead. She was here, breathing the air Cass was breathing, and walking down the empty streets as Cass had so many times in the past. She was alive only a few short moments ago. And now she was dead.

It wasn't so much the fact that she was dead that bothered Cass. Everybody died, she wasn't an idiot. It was more of how she died. And how Daryl didn't even bother to help her. How could he have just sat there, not even bothering to try and help that girl? Why didn't he help her, but when he came across Cass, he stopped at nothing to get her out of the situation she was trapped in?

Cass shivered at the mere thought of it. That could've been her out there, getting mauled to death by walkers. She could've felt that excruciating pain, pain she could only imagine. And even then, she didn't want to.

Turning so her back was against the wall, she let herself slide down to the floor. Pulling her knees into her chest, Cass wrapped her tired arms around her legs and rested her chin on her forearm. Closing her eyes, once again, Cass found herself thinking of her sister.

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><p>"Daryl, do you remember what we talked about a few weeks back? Or did dad beat you so much as a kid that you can't remember back that far?" Merle sneered, resting his bat down on the kitchen table.<p>

"What the fuck are you talking about, Merle? And don't you dare go bringing _him_ into this."

"I saw you out there, kissing her, you fucking idiot."

Daryl's stomach turned at the anger in his brother's voice. Make no mistake; Daryl was one hell of a strong guy. He had won more than his fair share of drunken bar fights. But there was one person he would never want to fight, one person who kicked his sorry ass every time they got into it. And that would be Merle.

Merle grabbed a hold of Daryl's collar and spun him around, throwing him up against the wall. Daryl let out a startled gasp when his back made contact with the wall. _Hard._

"This _is_ my business. _She_ is my business. And she doesn't need some white trash loser messing with her." Merle said through gritted teeth.

The truth was, when Merle and Daryl had first fan into Cass, Merle was ecstatic. It was a blessing, is what it was. The world had gone to shit, everyone he had known, everyone he had passed by on a daily basis was gone. And there she was, a young girl, alone, scared, and willing to go wherever he went.

Merle was never a man who believed in God, but at that moment, he found himself thanking Him.

But as he spent more time with her, he got to understand her more. And any impure thoughts that the man inside him had put in his head took the back burner.

By looking at her, he'd say she couldn't have been more than 25 years old. And she just didn't seem like the kind of girl who had _experience _under her belt. Or, a whole lot, at least.

And Merle was a man, in every sense of the word. He found himself looking at Cass like a sister more than just a piece of meat. Which was completely unlike him. He had always wanted a little sister, someone he could watch over and take care of. And now, he had her. Unfortunately, it seemed as though his brother did, too.

Annoyed, Daryl pushed his brother off of him, shoving him back a step. "Fuck you, Merle. You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Merle opened his mouth to snap back at his brother, but froze in his place when he heard Cass call out for them.

"Merle! Daryl! Come up here! Quick!" Her voice was panicked. Both brothers could hear the fear that lurked in it. Neither wasted another moment and sprinted up the stairs towards her.

"Cass, what's wrong? Merle asked, running up to her.

Without saying a word, Cass merely pointed out the window. Daryl and Merle took a step forward, practically pressing their noses up against the glass. That was when they saw it. And, holy shit, did they ever see it.

There were walkers everywhere. Wandering around aimlessly, their stomachs still growling, desperate for another meal. _Or__ three __other __meals, _Daryl thought, glancing at the two who stood by his side.

"What are we going to do?" Cass asked, her voice as low as a whisper.

"There's nothing we can do. There's too many of 'em out there to do anything but wait in here." Merle informed the younger girl, his eyes peeled forward as he spoke.

Cass pulled herself away from the window and looked at him with nothing but horror in her eyes. "But what if they figure out we're in here? What if they break through our barriers? We can't just _sit_here and wait!"

"No, that's exactly what we're going to do." Merle told her.

"I don't think we should. Think about it. We're running out of supplies, here. And now they're lurking everywhere outside. How long do you think it's going to take until they manage to get in here, Merle? And then what?" Daryl pushed, not sold on the idea of the three of them waiting it out inside the house.

Something about the situation they were in made Daryl feel uneasy. All of those walkers roaming around outside didn't sit well in his stomach.

"No. We'll wait them out."

Cass and Daryl turned to look at Merle, their eyes wide with surprise. Was he serious?

"But, Merle-" Cass began.

Merle cut her off, finishing his thought. "Look around, both of you. We have a house here, security. We've boarded up the windows; those babies aren't giving in anytime soon. And we'll secure them a little more, just to be sure. We have shelter here, in an area that doesn't normally have any walkers."

"Merle's right." Daryl agreed, letting out a small sigh. Even though he was talking to Cass, he didn't bother glancing in her direction. Instead, he continued to stare off into the wave of walkers. "It'd be stupid for us to just pack up and leave. Chances are we'll never find another house like this again. We'll wait them out in here. They're only out there because they followed that girl. Once they realize that's the only meal waiting for them out here, they'll scatter like flies. We just have to wait for it."

But Cass wasn't buying it. "And if they don't? Then what?" She wasn't as nearly as convinced as the guys apparently were. She knew better.

"Then, we'll figure something out. In the meantime, no one leaves for anything, even to keep watch on the roof. The last thing we need is for one of those bastards to spot us and try and get in here." Merle told her. Finally, tearing his eyes away from the window, Merle turned to his brother. "Come downstairs. Help me secure the place a little more."

Cass followed them downstairs, her eyes silently watching the Dixon brothers as they reinforced their windows. They moved to the front door, securing it with more thick plies of wood.

Her stomach turned, twisting into a tight knot of pure anxiety with every bang of the hammer. Wouldn't the walkers hear it and follow the noise?

Cass swallowed the knot in her throat at the realization that their next meal could very well be her. She shook the thought from her head and stepped forward to help the guys. Might as well make herself useful rather than just standing around.

"Here, I can help you guys." She offered, knowing they were going to resist her help regardless. But hey, what's the harm in trying, right?

"It's alright, Cass. We're almost done here." As soon as Merle spoke those words, someone clawed on the other end of the door.

Cass jumped back, Daryl and Merle's entire bodies tensing at the sound. The brothers took a step back, both of them reaching a hand back towards Cass.

She understood their unspoken motions, and without wasting another second, Cass ran into the kitchen to grab Merle's bat. She handed it over to him and watched him brace himself for the walkers to burst through the front door.

"Do you want your crossbow, Daryl? I can go grab it from upstairs."

He just glanced back at her and shook his head without saying a word. Another loud bang on the door caught his attention, turning back to it and taking another step back. Instinctively, Daryl held his arm out to the side, separating Cass from the walkers on the other end of the wooden door. He was intent on keeping her safe. He already let one person die tonight. He was going to be damned if he was going to let it happen again. Not Cass. Not if he had anything to say about it, at least.

Still silent, Daryl kept his eyes peeled on the door, just waiting for them to break through their reinforced barrier. The three survivors were so focused on the door that they had forgotten about the windows on either side of them.

A loud shatter let out into the air to the right of them. All three heads shot to the window, watching in absolute horror as hands reached through the broken window.

"Shit. Merle, help me move the bookshelf." Daryl said, rushing to the other side of the living room.

Merle helped his brother push the bookshelf towards the window, the dozens and dozens of books making it a harder feat than either brother would've liked to admit.

Cass's heart was beating so fast, she was scared she was about to throw up right then and there. She watched the brothers move the bookshelf, her eyes focused on them until she heard a shatter to her left. More hungry hands broke through the wooden plies, clawing for her desperately.

Without saying a word, Cass ran to try and push the other bookshelf towards the window. Standing at 5'3" and now weighing less than nothing, it came as no surprise to her when it wouldn't even budge, despite her best efforts.

She let out a startled scream when more of the wood let go. She backed away from the bookshelf, unsure of what to do, but fully aware of the space that had to be put between herself and the walkers.

"Damnit, Merle. We can't stay here. We have to go. _Now._" Daryl shouted. Their time was running out. And fast. This shelter and security blanket was no longer theirs. They had to leave, now, if they wanted to live to see tomorrow.

Daryl made his way over to Cass and pulled her closer to him and away from the walker's hands that reached through the broken window. This was going to hell real fast.

For a split second, the Dixon brothers had thought that securing all the exits again had been a brilliant idea. Now, it seemed like anything but. In their attempt to secure the perimeter and add an extra lay of safety to their hideout, they had unknowingly alerted the entire horde of walkers outside that there was fresh meat inside the house.

Without saying a word, Merle darted up the stairs, his loud footsteps ringing out into the eerie silence of the house. Not even a moment later, he came running down the stairs with Daryl's crossbow held tightly in his hands. He tossed it over to his brother and stared at him, his face completely cold.

"Daryl, take Cass and get on my bike. Get the hell away from here."

"What? And go where, exactly?" Cass asked. She tried to calm her voice, but both of the brothers could hear the trembling. It had taken her a moment for her to realize that the older Dixon brother wasn't even in that plan. "Wait. What about you?"

"I'll be right behind you guys. I want both of you out of here right now. Daryl, push further out of the city. Take the road west and don't stop until you're in the middle of fucking nowhere. I'll meet you guys out there."

"No, Merle, come with us. Why the hell would you stay here?" Cass asked desperately. She didn't understand any of this. Was he seriously expecting to sacrifice himself? Further more, was he actually expecting Cass and Daryl to just walk away and leave him there?

Apparently, he was. Daryl tossed his crossbow over to Cass, who caught it with wide, confused eyes.

"Put it on your back. We're leaving." Daryl ordered.

Merle left the house first, opening the back door painfully slow. He stuck his head out, his baseball bad held tightly in his hands as he opened it further. Cocking his head towards the bike that was parked just a few feet away, he watched as Daryl and Cass passed by him.

There were no walkers in the backyard, leaving the coast clear. For now. Daryl took Cass by her wrist and yanked her towards the motorcycle. At this point, he didn't care if he hurt her in the process. Dislocating her shoulder but living to see another day was just a sacrifice he was going to have to make.

He knew Cass. He might've only known her for a few weeks, but damnit, he still _knew_ her. He knew damn well that Cass was not going to leave Merle to fend for himself with endless walkers outside. This was the only way to get her out of harms way.

She couldn't get another word through her dry lips as Daryl practically threw her onto the back of Merle's motorcycle. He jumped on in front of her, _oh,__which__ is __why __he __gave__ me __his__ beloved __crossbow,_ and started the bike up.

Cass glanced back at Merle one last time, tears swelling in her eyes as he shot her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, kid. You'll see me again." He told her before closing the door shut. She heard him lock it and reinforce the other side of the door before she heard Daryl's stern voice.

"Holy on tight."

She did as she was told and held onto the younger brother for dear life.

Just a few minutes ago, she had been enjoying the cool summer night. She had been having a cold beer and had gotten the first kiss that actually sent shivers down her spine and gave her butterflies.

And now, she was helpless to protect one of the only two men she'd ever trusted with her life.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Please review!<strong>


	4. In the Dark

**Once again, I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story and leave feedback. It's really great to hear from you all, and I hope that everyone continues to read and review. Here's the next chapter, everyone. Please, enjoy!**

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><p>Cass felt her stomach twist into a knot so tight, she was convinced that it would never come undone. Her throat had closed in on her, her tears being blown behind her by the piercing wind. Her heart clenched and wouldn't release, beating viciously in her chest. Her entire body shook, her fingers digging desperately into Daryl, hanging on for dear life.<p>

Her mind stayed focused on Merle and the sacrifice that cost him his life. Well, could.

She knew that he was a strong and determined man. She knew that he would fight until the very end. And if any of those God damn walkers were going to take him out, he would take a hell of a lot out with him.

Her mind was telling her that Merle was alright, that he would meet up with them in a few hours, and they would laugh about how Cass had nearly had a heart attack when he closed that back door on them.

This wasn't the end for him. Merle wouldn't let it be. He would fight, claw and kick his way out of whatever he had got himself in. But still, her heart mind told her otherwise.

There was no happy ending for her sister, or for that girl who died only an hour ago. What made her think there would be a happy ending for Merle? Or for the rest of them, for that matter.

The odds were against them, simple as that. The walkers weren't the walking dead. _They_ were. Because it would only be a matter of time before the remaining humans were wiped out.

Cass leaned forward, burying her face into Daryl's broad back. She felt him tense up, his muscles on alert at the touch, as if for only a moment, he had thought she were a walker. It only took a few seconds before his body relaxed again and he allowed himself to focus on the road before him.

Daryl was just as concerned about his brother as Cass was. Hell, he was even more concerned, if you could imagine that.

Daryl knew his brother better than anyone. He knew that if Merle had told them to get out of the house, it was because he had a plan. A plan that he couldn't extradite with them by his side. He would meet up with them before Daryl knew it, and it would be as though he never left his side.

But something inside Daryl doubted it. As much as he despised the voice inside his head, a part of him worried that it wouldn't end well for Merle. He had already lost everyone else in the world. He couldn't bare to lose Merle, too. Not his brother.

But Daryl pushed himself to be stronger and more confident in his big brother. Right now, it was all he could do. He had to be strong, for Cass's sake.

He glanced up towards the sky and noticed that it was still dark out. Jesus, what time was it? He would do anything to have a clock, or a watch, or something to give him some idea of the time. He had tried to keep track of how many days had passed since the world had gone to shit. After twenty-one days, he had lost track of time. And now, he was convinced that so much time had passed that he would never be able to regain the simple knowledge of day or time.

Finally, he slowed down, simply unable to go any further. Not without Merle.

There was nothing around them. No houses, no cars, no people. Which, Daryl told himself, was a good thing. No people meant no walkers. Of course, that almost meant that there was no one there to keep him away from Cass. And feeling her entire body pressed up against his, her hands wrapped strongly around his waist, was not a good start.

He squinted his eyes into the darkness, trying to find something around them that could shelter them until Merle got there. Killing the motorcycle, he felt Cass's hands relax around his waist.

He felt a strange sensation, almost like a ping in his stomach, when he felt Cass let go of his waist altogether. He glanced back at her, his emotions well hidden from her when he felt her climb off the bike. Resting his hands on the back of the seat, he turned his body to face her the best he could without dismounting the bike.

"Are we just going to wait here, out in the open like this?"

Daryl shrugged. "Guess so."

Cass's mouth fell open. Was he serious? What the _hell_ was wrong with the Dixon brothers? Did they even realize that their rash decisions were going to be the death of her? Emotionally speaking, of course.

Cass glared at Daryl, raising an eyebrow at him. "Is that safe?"

"I ain't leaving without my brother." He told her firmly before twisting his body back around, taking a grip of the bike's handles.

Cass's stance against Daryl relaxed at the simple statement. Of course he wasn't going to go any further. She wouldn't either, despite how uneasy she felt about being stuck in an open space. She wouldn't expect anything less from Daryl.

She could tell by his short remarks and his body language that he was less than impressed with her. And for the love of God, she couldn't figure out why. Why was _he_ upset with _her_? If anything, after watching him let that girl die, _she_ should be mad at _him_!

Without saying a word, Cass walked closer to the bike, stopping only when she stood by his side. She wasn't at all surprised when he failed to look at her. Hell, she was expecting it.

But she needed comfort right now. She needed to feel him hold her, to hear him tell her that Merle was going to be alright and would rendezvous with them any minute now. But clearly, he wasn't going to bother.

So she took it upon herself, reaching out to rest a shaky hand on his shoulder. Finally, he glanced at her over his shoulders, his features stone cold.

Cass leaned in, her other hand resting on his cheek as her lips met his. Daryl kept his body tense, his grip on his bike tightening when he felt her slip her tongue along his teeth, begging for entrance. Daryl's fingers dug into the leather of the handles until he was sure his knuckles were white from strain. He shouldn't do this. He _can't_ do this. Merle was right about him and Cass. Daryl was a piece of shit white trash. He didn't deserve to even be around Cass, much less make her his own.

His mind was rational, listing off reason after reason with why he needed to stay away from her. But his body was anything but. When it came down to it, he was still a man. And God, he wanted this girl.

He wanted to pull her onto his lap, rip off her clothes, and take her right then and there on the bike. Behind closed eyes, Daryl pictured just that. He imagined feeling her legs reach around the bike, straddling his waist as she held onto his face, kissing him deeply. He could almost hear her throaty groan against his teeth as she leaned back, letting him pull her shirt off.

He was brought back to reality when he felt her pull away, grabbing his closest hand and removing it from the bike. She walked closer, so she stood between his bike and his thigh. He complied with her when she brought his hand to her waist, resting it there as she steadied her hands on his shoulders.

He tilted his head back to look at her, her eyes dark and stormy with nothing but passion. She wanted him, and she wanted him right now. He could fucking feel it.

A lump swelled deep in his throat at the look in her eyes. For fuck sakes, she was killing him. Between the walkers roaming the streets and the girl that stood before him, Daryl didn't know which one he should be more scared of.

Finally, Daryl was able to catch a grip of the situation they were in. As much as he wanted to kiss her, now wasn't the time or the place. And he definitely wasn't the kind of guy that she should be with. Maybe if he were ten years younger, that would be the right time. And maybe if they weren't in the middle of a bloody apocalypse, that would be the right place.

Daryl pulled away from Cass with a low growl, extending his arms to shove her off him. He'll never forget the look on her face when she opened her eyes. Hurt and plainly rejected. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He wasn't at all surprised.

Daryl cursed himself silently. _See? You hurt her. This is exactly what Merle was talking about._

Daryl cleared his throat and tried to play if off as though it was for their safety, and not because she was too good for him. Way too fucking good for him. "We probably shouldn't be standing here with our eyes closed. Not the best plan, don't you think?"

Cass felt her temples sting from the rejection. She bit back tears that burned at her eyes and nodded faintly.

Daryl shut his eyes and rubbed them with his rough fingertips. _God damnit, Merle, where the fuck are you?_

Merle grunted as he poured out the majority of the vodka that was remaining in the tall glass bottle. Pouring out good liquor hurt him more than anything. And right now, that was sure as hell saying something.

Pulling out the rag from his back pocket, he shoved the majority of it into the bottle. He glanced around one last time, just to make sure that he hadn't accidentally forgotten to take something. Only when he was sure he had all that he, Cass and Daryl needed did Merle pick up the lighter he placed on the kitchen counter.

He stood at the back door, his lighter in one hand and the bottle in the other, and waited. He waited until more walkers came into view from the side windows. When there were enough hands reaching through, and even a few walkers getting pushed into the house, Merle lit the rag with his lighter.

"Suck on this, fuckers!" Merle shouted as he threw the bottle across the living room.

He turned and withdrew his gun from his torn jeans, pulling open the back door as he heard the bottle explode while flames ripped through the house that he had once called his home.

With gun in hand and ready to be fired, Merle made his way to the car he and Daryl had come to call their own. There were no walkers in the backyard, and Merle revelled in the simple fact.

The house behind him burned viciously as he started the car, turning the key in the engine.

Merle drove away from the burning house, glancing into his rear view mirror only once to watch their one and only safety net burn to the ground.

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading. Please, please, please, leave a review and let me know what you think!<strong>


	5. Bad Moon Rising

**MigratingCoconuts06 - Thank you so much for your review. I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. I hope that you'll like this one even more!**

**ItalianBreadstick - Thanks a lot for taking the time to read a review. I definitely updated sooner than I thought I would've. Enjoy!**

**MulishaMaiden - Thank you very much for your review. No, we definitely can't blame a girl for trying. With someone like Daryl Dixon, how could we possibly? Thank you for your comment on how I write the characters. I hope to portray them accurately, and it always makes me smile when people comment on how good of a job (or not) I'm doing with that.**

**Leyshla Gisel - Thank you! It makes me very happy to know you think Daryl is in character. For a minute, I thought I might've been straying from the Daryl Dixon that we all know and love. I hope you enjoy this next update!  
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**leeshxcore - I'm really glad that the last chapter caught your attention, and I hope that this one, and the remaining chapters, do the same!**

**I want to, once again, thank everyone for the amazing feedback I've been getting from this story. I updated rather quickly with this chapter, and I hope that everyone enjoys reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I definitely have some interesting ideas for this story, so stick around and watch as it all unfolds.**

**Please remember to leave a review once you've read the chapter. Let me know what you think. I love hearing from you guys. Thanks for clicking, and enjoy the chapter!**

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><p>Cass had never had the privilege of having an older brother. She had never had someone in her life that lived to look out for her and make sure no one bothered her. Go figure that now, after the world that she knew it had ended, she found her big brother in Merle Dixon.<p>

Cass couldn't fathom the words of utter joy when Merle drove up to her and Daryl. All she could do was run to the driver's side of his crappy, broken down truck and throw her arms around him in a tight embrace. She shut her eyes, tears of happiness burning at them.

Merle let out a breathless laugh into the cool air when he felt Cass wrap her arms around him so tightly he could barely breathe. He patted her on the back and smiled gently.

Finally, Cass pulled back, looking up at him through teary eyes. "Merle, I didn't think I'd see you again." She admitted. She wasn't ashamed of letting it air that she had feared the worst for him. She knew that all of them had the same fear once Merle had separated from the group. After all, they _were_ stronger in numbers.

"Ah, hell. You know it'd take a lot more than some bloody walkers to take _me_ down." He assured her, grabbing a hold of her cheeks.

God, this girl was something else. How did she give him so much hope in a world that had gone to complete shit? He would probably never know how she did it, but he couldn't have been more grateful. There was nothing he wouldn't do to keep this girl safe.

"How did my brother treat you while I was gone? Do I need to kick his ass, too?"

Cass heard Daryl grunt from behind her and hesitated for a split second. Truth be told, he hadn't treated her very well. But after the tension she saw between the two brothers back at the house, she wasn't about to add fuel to the fire.

"He was fine, silly. I was scared to stop here and wait for you, but he was determined to stay put until you cam back." She lied. Well, that first part was a lie, anyway.

Merle's smile widened as his eyes fell back to his brother. Cass released her grip on Merle as he made his way over to Daryl. Clasping one of Daryl's hands in his own, the other patted his baby brother's back, in a hug they had since they were teenagers. You know, one of those _man _hugs.

"That's my little brother." Merle said proudly.

As Daryl hugged his brother, he felt Cass's eyes focused in their direction. He glanced past Merle's shoulders and saw Cass watching them silently. No, not them. _Him._ He bit back the guilt he felt towards her and rejoiced silently in being reunited with his brother.

Merle pulled away and stood so he was facing both Cass and Daryl. He rocked back on his heels, digging his hands deep into his pockets. "So, what now, kids?"

"What happened back at the house?" Cass asked. Truth be told, she had no idea in hell of what to do now. Maybe if she killed more time asking questions, someone could come up with a plan of some sort. Because Lord knows she didn't have one.

"It's gone. I set it on fire, along with a shitload of them walkers." Merle said without flinching.

Cass's heart sank into her chest. That was the first place she had felt safe in since the dead began rising from the dead. That was her last hope and her only security blanket as she knew it. And now it was gone.

"So what are we supposed to do now?" She pushed.

"We keep moving." Merle answered. "If we found one house, we'll find another."

It wasn't long before they were on the road once again. Daryl had put Merle's bike in the bed of the truck, securing it as best as he could given the supplies they had on hand. With the bike in place, Cass slid into the car and sat in silence between Daryl and Merle.

Cass stared straight ahead, feeling the contact of both brothers' legs against her own. Her thoughts swirled around and around about her interactions with Daryl. She didn't understand it. He seemed to like kissing her before. What was wrong with her now, only a few hours later?

She listed off all the possibilities of what could cause him to be so distant so quickly. Maybe her breath smelled. Maybe she smelled. Hell, they all smelled. That was simply not a valid argument at this point.

Sighing louder than she would have liked, Cass pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind. Now was not the time to worry about such childish stuff. They were always just one step away from being walker food, God damnit. She had much bigger fish to fry, and it was about time she acted like the adult that she was. She wasn't in high school anymore. Now wasn't the time for meaningless boy drama.

"Maybe we should try and find somewhere with other survivors. A police station, maybe?" Daryl suggested, breaking the silence inside the truck and keeping his eyes forward.

"The police? There ain't no way in hell, brother."

Daryl couldn't help but smirk at his brother. "They're not going to arrest you, Merle. They can't throw you in jail anymore."

Merle scoffed. "I'm sure that won't stop 'em. They'll probably just handcuff me to something else and leave me for dead."

Cass grimaced at the thought. Merle may come across as a bad guy sometimes, sure. But there was no reason for cops to have such distain towards him. Well, maybe there was. After all, she didn't actually know him before all of this happened. He could've been a serial killer, for all she knew. Although she didn't like to give a thought like that so much as a second glance.

"I think that sounds like a good idea, though, Merle. The police can help us. Protect us, even. We should at least check it out." Cass suggested. She had to admit, something about finding police officers appealed to the desperate need for safety that she felt twenty-four seven. Maybe she could finally relax knowing she was in the security and under the protection of police officers.

Merle grunted in response. He couldn't say no to her. Damnit. When did he get so soft?

"Don't we have to go back into the city for the cops? I don't know about you, but after that close call back at the house, I don't feel too excited to go back there right about now."

Cass shook her head. "The military set up an emergency stop a few miles down. I remember hearing them talk about it non-stop when all of this started to happen."

"Alright, then we'll head there. But God help both of you if those pigs come at me." Merle told them, keeping one hand firmly gripped to the wheel in front of him.

Cass turned to him and smiled, patting her hand on his knee in reassurance. "Don't worry, Merle. We won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Merle's eyes glanced away from the road and focused on the young girl beside him. He gave her a quick smile and turned back to the road, the curve in his lips slowly fading away.

Merle was no idiot. He knew that Daryl had his back. Hell, he knew that even Cass would have his back, despite how tiny she was. And he felt the same way towards his brother and the young girl he grew to think of his own. Nothing was ever going to happen to any of them. Why? Because they all had each other, and none of them would let it happen. At this point, all they had was each other.

Cass managed to fall asleep while Merle drove silently to the military base camp. She couldn't even remember how long it had been since she managed to sleep so calmly and easily. But she wasn't about to complain. She was too busy sleeping to, anyway.

The drive to the army base was probably one of the longest drives of Merle's life. Even longer than his drives to jail, if you could believe that much.

The older Dixon brother didn't know what to think as he sped along the highway. Would the army still be set up there, or would they have fallen back to a safer location? Would they have another base set up somewhere else where they brought other survivors to for safety? Would this be the end of their horror story? Or was Merle just giving himself a false hope of something that no longer existed?

He tried to quiet the thought in his head, but he couldn't help but wonder. Last he heard of the military, they were quarantining parts of the city. And by "quarantining" he meant gunning down civilians in the middle of the havoc ridden streets. Of course, that was just a rumor. But with Merle's history with the military and police, he wouldn't be at all surprised if that were the case.

They weren't too fond of the Dixon brothers, so this ought to be all kinds of interesting.

Daryl didn't say a word the entire ride. He shifted himself in his seat so he was leaning more towards the door than Cass. With his arm resting against the edge of the window, he propped up his chin with his fist. Daryl was lost in the passing scenery. It was all so beautiful, he couldn't help but stare. The endless array of threes and passing birds almost made him forget about the countless walkers they had left behind in the city. _Almost. _

How pathetic was it that he couldn't even remember what life was like before walkers roamed the streets? He couldn't remember what it was like to wake up in the morning and not worry about the possibility of being mauled to death by the hungry dead. And now, it seemed like that constant fear, that relentless clutching of his head was all he had ever known.

"Alright, we're here." Merle announced.

The three survivors stepped out of the truck when it came to a slow and steady stop. Merle held his shotgun tightly in his grip, using his free hand to give Cass a pistol. He'd rather her have something, _anything, _to defend herself with than to have her depending on them. He would never be able to live with himself if something happened and he wasn't there to protect her. Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and walked around the car to meet the other two survivors.

"Well, it looks like there's nobody left. Big surprise." Daryl muttered, his southern accent hanging on every word.

Everything was destroyed. The tents that were set up had been torn down, the green fabric stained with blood. Bodies scattered the ground, both that of the military and walkers.

Cass swallowed the bile that came up at the back of her throat as they walked by organs and limbs. She remained between the Dixon brothers, her pistol in her hands and aimed at anything and everything. All she needed was to see one walker and she would have absolutely no problem pulling that trigger. All she needed was a reason.

After a few minutes of walking through the disaster that was once a military camp, Merle and Daryl turned to face each other and Cass.

"So what do we do now?" Cass asked quietly.

Merle let out a heavy sigh, his arms relaxing and his shotgun falling to his side. "Well, this place is useless to us now. I don't see anything but dead bodies and guts."

"Yeah, but on the bright side, all these military assholes means a whole lot of guns and ammunition for us."

"So, what, we're going to rob dead bodies now? Is that really what we've become?" Cass could believe what Daryl had just proposed. He wasn't serious…was he?

Merle let out a bellowing laugh that echoed around them. He stretched out his arms and glanced at their surroundings. "Look around, little Cass. It's survival of the fittest out here. We may very well be the last, unlucky, mother fuckers out here. It's time to worry about ourselves and our situation, Cass. It's time to stock up on supplies and move on. Ain't nothing else we can do here!"

Cass opened her mouth, ready to back down and agree with him when shouting erupted from all around them. Instantly, Cass, Daryl and Merle aimed their weapons, darting back and forth between military solider after military soldier. It didn't take long for the survivors to realize that they were completely surrounded by at least a dozen men. All of which had their guns aimed on the three of them.

"Drop your weapons! Drop your weapons!" One of the men screamed, his voice sending shivers throughout Cass's shaking body.

Daryl and Merle moved closer to Cass, their weapons aimed at the men around them, neither brother giving the option of backing down.

"Drop your weapons or we'll drop all three of you where you stand!" Another man ordered.

Cass's heart pounded so loudly in her chest, she almost couldn't hear the orders being barked at them. Daryl growled, his narrow eyes darting back and forth between the men. His finger was hovering over the trigger of his crossbow and he was more than willing to pull it.

A man stepped up and stood before Cass, his helmet covering his face from the terrified girl. "If I were you, little girl, I'd lower your weapon. Don't make us shoot your boys here."

Cass kept her arms forward, her gun aimed straight at the man's chest. Her entire body shook from fear as she glanced at the brothers on either side of her. Both Dixon brothers had guns aimed to the back of their heads. Their stances were defeated, their arms lowered, knowing from here on out, they stood no chance.

Cass let out a shaky breath and hesitantly lowered her arms to her side. She tilted her head up to look at the man standing before her as he pulled his helmet off, resting it in the crook of his arm.

"That's it, girl. Now, boys, would you look at what we got here? Two rednecks with some mighty good looking weapons." His voice lowered, a sick smirk spreading across his lips as he eyed Cass up and down. "And it looks like we got ourselves a girl, too, boys."


	6. Pale

**Once again, I just want to take a few moments to thank everyone who has stuck with this story so far. We're already six chapters in, can you believe it? I have so, so much to give this story, and I'm so glad that you guys have decided to stick it out and read and review each and every chapter. It means so much to me and makes me so happy to get all of this wonderful feedback. And I hope to get much more!**

**And now, allow me to be a little bit of a party pooper. This chapter is definitely a result of how I feel right now. Let's just say, my New Years was probably one of the worst days I've had in my life yet. I came home and my mom started with me right off the bat. It got to the point where she was in my face, yelling at me, and even started hitting me. Long story short (I'm not about to bore you with details) my older and much bigger brother decided to get involved. My night ended with him grabbing me and throwing me and dislocating my shoulder. The bruise is still on my shoulder and reminds me of how much I sometimes despise still living at home. So this chapter, at least part of it, is related a little to my life. I hope you guys don't mind too much.**

**All in all, I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter. Don't worry, the next one will be much more action filled, since I know you guys are probably itching for some right about now.**

**I hope everyone else has had a wonderful year so far. And this is another little present for all of you. Thank you so much for continuing to read this story, and I apologize for taking so long to get this latest chapter out. **

**Enjoy!**

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><p><em>Merle sat in the room he shared with his younger brother, his music blarring from the old stereo on his dresser. He had come straight home after work, even thought it was against every fibre in his body. He knew his dad was going to be home soon, and he knew he should've met up with his friends as an excuse to wind down after work before heading home. But for some reason, something in the back of his mind told him to come straight home. He didn't bother going to a nearby bar to try and drown his sorrows away. Although he did smoke a little bit of weed on the walk home. Whatever. He fucking needed it, living in this house.<em>

_Merle nodded his head to the beat, grabbing a cigarette from the pack that he had tossed onto his bed when he walked through his bedroom door. He lit the cigarette and took a heavy puff, enjoying the buzz from the weed mixed with the sound of his favourite song and the cigarette between his lips._

_Merle's dark eyes glanced towards the clock across his room. It was almost 4:30pm and he knew it would be minutes before his dad came home._

_It wasn't unusual for Merle to rush home after work. Though sometimes, when the tension was too much, he avoided the place altogether. But the fact was, he liked being home alone before his brother and dad came through the door. Daryl was a lot younger than him, fourteen years to be exact, and annoying as hell sometimes. And his dad was a worthless drunk. A very mean, worthless drunk. So it wasn't a strange thing for Merle to rush home the minute he got off work for some well deserved alone time._

_He heard the front door slam shut over his music. He groaned, knowing whoever had entered was clearly more than just a little pissed off. If Merle could hear anything over his music, it meant that someone in the Dixon house was fuming. Of course, that wasn't exactly news at his house._

_Merle ignored it and continued to listen to his favourite song. It wasn't until the song came to an end and his room filled with silence that he heard it._

_Daryl and his father were fighting. Again._

_Merle leaned towards his stereo, pausing it before the next song began to play. He sat on his bed in silence, listening carefully to the voices on the other end of the wall._

_"Would you just leave me alone? I just want to go to my room!" Daryl yelled at his father, desperate to just get away from the older man._

_"You shut your God damn mouth, boy. And you fucking listen to me. Get your white trash ass over here, now!"_

_Merle gritted his teeth as he listened to his father talk down to his youngest son. He was getting so bloody tired of this. Ever since their mom up and left the three Dixon men, his dad fell off the wagon and turned to drinking again. And ever since then, life at home had been nothing but an absolutely hell._

_His father would pick fights with his sons for no reason. If you even looked at him in what their father deemed the wrong way, you would get a punch in the face. Merle didn't have that much of a problem with his dad fighting with him. Merle was a lot bigger and stronger than his drunken excuse of a father would ever be. And Merle knew he could defend himself again the older man with his eyes closed. It was when his father went after Daryl that pushed Merle over the edge._

_How many times had Merle come home from hanging out with his friends to see Daryl lying in his bed with a black eye? How many times had Daryl come to him, biting back tears with a broken rib? Too many fucking times._

_"Stop! Don't touch me!" Was all Merle needed to hear before he jumped out of his bed._

_Throwing the door open, Merle watched as his dad grabbed a hold of Daryl and tossed him clear across the room. Daryl hit the wall with a painful loud 'thud' before collapsing onto the floor._

_"Fucking hell. What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Merle roared, closing the distance between himself and his father._

_The older man waved him off and turned to finish what he had started with Daryl. "Get away from me, boy. Or you'll be next."_

_Merle put a hand on his father's shoulder, which stopped the older man in his place. "Leave Daryl alone."_

_Merle's dad scoffed and shrugged his eldest son's hand off his shoulder. Without sating another word, his dad took a swing at Merle. His actions were slow, the alcohol altering his every move. Merle ducked and avoided contact with the closed fist as he made his own._

_Standing up straight again, Merle swung his fist at his dad. Regret surged through his body as his dad crumbled to the floor at Merle's feet, the single blow rendering him unconscious. Merle glanced down at the useless drunk and ignored the guilt that filled his body. Sure, he was an abusive piece of shit, but the bottom line was, he was still his father._

_When Merle heard Daryl grunt, his eyes moved from his father to his younger brother across the room. Daryl was holding up his right shoulder, gasping with every move he made._

_Merle ran over to him, kneeling down in front of him. "Daryl, are you okay? What's wrong?"_

_Daryl gritted his teeth, his eyes shut tightly to push back the tears that were burning at his eyes. Intense burning shot out from his shoulder, spreading across every inch of his arm. Stinging, like a million knifes cutting at his skin, took over his entire body._

_"He dislocated my shoulder." Was all Daryl could muster up. Every inch he moved, every breath he took, made Daryl almost wish his father had just finished what he always started._

_Merle growled, sending one last glance towards his father before carefully taking a hold of his little brother. Slowly, gradually, Merle lifted Daryl, every groan that slipped through Daryl's lips stabbing Merle's heart._

_That was the last time either Merle or Daryl had seen their father. Despite Daryl's protests, Merle dragged his eleven year old brother to the hospital. When they were there, Merle told the doctor exactly what had happened to Daryl. Immediately after, Daryl had been put into a foster home. Merle couldn't support Daryl, hell; he didn't even have a home to take him back to. So, eventually, they were separated._

_But nothing could really take Daryl away from Merle. It only took a year for Merle to get back on his feet and fight for the rights of his brother._

_There was nothing Merle wouldn't do for him._

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><p>Merle groaned as he finally came to. His head was seriously pounding, his vision blurred over his dark eyes as he tried to blink it away.<p>

Merle tried to lift up his hand, intent on rubbing the swelling lump on the back of his head. It only took him a split second to realize his hands were handcuffed together.

"What the fuck?" Merle grunted as he examined his handcuffed wrists. He glanced around, the lack of light keeping him in a close to pitch black room. It would take at least a few minutes for his eyes to adjust. Then maybe he could see a foot in front of him.

"Merle? Are you awake?"

Squinting his eyes, Merle was grateful for the small window across the cold room that dimly lit up his surroundings. He found Cass sitting across from him, only a few feet away, leaning back against something. He also noticed something in her lap.

"Cass? What the hell happened? Where are we? Where's Daryl?"

Cass didn't know whether it were all of the questions being thrown at her or the situation they were in that made her head spin. "I don't know. They knocked you two out. They dragged us here and threw us in jail. Daryl's right here. He hasn't woken up yet, but he's still breathing."

Merle glanced down and saw that it was Daryl in Cass's lap. His head was resting in her lap, her handcuffed hands holding onto his shoulder protectively.

What the hell was happening here? Those army guys weren't seriously thinking the three survivors could be a threat to them...were they?

"Did they hurt you?" Merle narrowed his eyes, waiting to hear her answer. God help those men if any one of them laid so much of a finger on her.

She shook her head, seeing the anger burning in Merle's eyes. "No, they didn't touch me. Except to grab me and throw me in here."

"Did they say anything to you?"

"Just that they needed to keep us contained. They don't believe that we haven't been bitten. They said they're going to search us, _personally_, for any bites." Cass swallowed the lump that was swelling in the back of her throat.

She was more terrified of that part that anything else. Something deep down inside of her told her not to worry too much, that these men were a part of the army and that they had no intention of hurting them. I mean, could they really? They're a part of the United States army. Isn't that some sort of ethical violation or something?

But that didn't mean it could stop them from strip searching her.

The lump came back.

Daryl groaned, stirring in her lap. Her eyes fell down to him as he began to come to. "Ugh. What the _fuck_, man."

"Daryl? Are you okay?" Merle asked from across the jail cell.

Daryl pulled himself away from Cass, pushing himself up so he was sitting beside her. Glancing down at his handcuffed wrists, he sneered. "What the hell did those bastards do? Handcuff us and throw us in a jail cell? What the hell is their problem?"

Cass opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when the heavy metal door swung open. A man walked in, followed by three more, as the door closed by itself behind them.

"Well, well, well. It looks like the sleeping beauties are finally awake. Did you have a good rest, boys?"

Daryl and Merle jumped to their feet, running to the edge of the jail cell to face their captors.

"Fuck you! What the hell are we doing behind bars?" Daryl barked.

"Let us out of here. _Now_." Merle ordered.

The man in the center of the others let out a bellowing laugh that echoed in the cold room. "Do you think we're stupid or something? Like we'd let garbage walk around our base without inspecting it first. All of you, take your clothes off. We need to make sure none of you've been bit." His eyes fell to Cass who was still on the ground. "That goes for you too, sweetie."

"Leave her alone." Daryl warned.

"Don't even talk to her, do you hear me?" Merle was in no mood for games. He didn't even want these fuckers to glance in her direction.

"If she doesn't do this willingly, we'll have to come in there and get her. And then we'll do it ourselves. Would you rather that?"

"If you even _think_ about touching her..."

"Daryl, it's okay. Let's just do what they say.' Cass surrendered, finally getting to her feet.

The truth was, she didn't want any part of this. But she knew that their time here would go a lot smoother if they just co-operated with these men. Maybe if they showed these men that they weren't infected, they could get out of this dirty jail cell. Maybe they would just let them go unharmed.

"Back up and spread the fuck out. We're coming in there to un-cuff you."

Daryl and Merle growled as they backed up. Merle headed back to the wall he woke up against and faced it, putting his hands above his head on the wall. He had been arrested many times. He knew exactly what stance to take with these guys.

Daryl moved back to Cass and stood beside her, refusing to turn his back on these men.

The strangers entered the jail cell, guns drawn and aimed at the three survivors. They moved to Merle first, un-cuffing him and taking a step back, cuffs in hand.

Merle kept his back towards them as he lifted his shirt over his head, tossing it on the ground beside him. He moved to his belt next, not bothering to bend down to remove his shoes. He let his pants fall to his ankles, only boxers covering his body as he lifted his hands, turning around to show them he was untouched.

"The shoes, too."

Merle grunted as he bent over to untie his shoes, stepping out of them. He kicked his pants off and glared at the men.

"Anything else? Or did you want to check out my junk, too?"

"No, that's quite alright. We'll assume that you weren't face fucking a geek before you got here."

Reaching forward, the man cuffed Merle's wrists together again. They turned to Daryl next, one man keeping his focus and gun on Merle as the commander turned his back on him.

"Your turn."

Daryl followed the lead of his brother. As much as he hated to. The truth was, he had no choice, and he knew it. He felt everyone's eyes focused on him, but he could care less. He was comfortable with his body and he knew that he was unharmed, so he had nothing to worry about. It was Cass undressing that made him uneasy.

Cass stood beside Daryl, a tight knot swelling into an impeccable size as she realized her turn was fast approaching. Her palms were pressed together, sweat practically dripping out of them. Her heart pounded, faster and faster by the second as she watched them handcuff Daryl again.

One soldier kept his gun aimed on Merle; another shoved his gun's barrel into Daryl's face as the last two men turned their attention to Cass.

"It's your turn, darling."

Cass kept her eyes focused on the ground as she reached down and unbuckled her belt. She kicked off her shoes and let her pants drop to the floor, stepping out of them with ease. She lifted up her shirt and let it fall overtop of her discarded pants. Her focus on the ground never wavered. She knew that if she looked up and saw everyone watching her, she would throw up then and there. And as much as she wanted to projectile vomit in these asshole's faces, she decided it would be best for everyone if she didn't.

"Turn around for me, baby."

Daryl felt sick to her stomach when Cass did what she was told. He didn't expect her to do anything else, but still, he didn't want her to obey these men. He didn't want them looking at her, imagining things about her, or even worse, doing things to her. Up until only a few days ago, he had always thought of Cass as his little sister, someone he wanted to take care of and protect. It wasn't until their run in with death at the pharmacy that he started to think of her differently. He saw a side of her he had never seen before, a side that he couldn't seem to get out of his head. And when they kissed, that feeling he got in his gut, the smile that her lips put on his face, he knew that he was starting to fall for this girl.

And now, here she was, standing in front of hostile men in nothing but her bra and panties. It made his blood boil. If he weren't staring into the barrel of a gun, he might've lost his shit right then. But for now, he had to bite back his feelings and stay calm and quiet. He had to, for the sake of his group.

"Good job, baby girl." The man said before reaching forward and handcuffing her hands together again. "Sit down."

Daryl and Merle obeyed, like dogs trapped with no other choice. They both knew that these men had nothing stopping them from blowing their brains out. Right now, it was best that they listened to what they said and didn't cause any problems.

Cass began to sit down but was yanked up by the commander. He held a fistful of her hair in his hand as he pulled her towards the jail door. "Stop! What are you doing?"

"Hey!" Daryl yelled, pushing himself to get up. He fell back onto the ground, his breath knocked out of him as the soldier standing over him gave him a swift kick to the chest.

Merle found himself in the same predicament as he was kicked back onto the ground.

"Where the hell are you taking her?" Merle shouted as the soldiers slowly backed out of the jail cell.

Daryl's heart pounded in his chest as he watched helplessly as the man locked the jail cell and slipped the key into his pocket. The leader smirked and sent a shrug their way.

"It's time for _us_ to have a little fun, boys."


	7. New Born

**Once again, I want to take a few minutes just to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this story. I just can't believe how much everyone has been enjoying it! Thank you so much to everyone who reviews, favourites and alerts this story. Sorry for the long wait for the next chapter, but I haven't had the time to sit down and right it out. I hope you think it was worth the wait! Enjoy, everyone!**

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><p>The fact that she was practically naked was the last thing on her mind right now, if you could believe it. She was much more concerned with what these men had in store for her. The man who was calling the shots had her by the hair, a chunk of it practically being ripped out of her head as he pulled her down a narrow hall. The rest of the men had fallen into step behind him, probably too scared to do anything else but mimic his every move, let alone keep him away from her. All of them knew exactly what was about to happen. Did they even care, or were they just simply going to stand by and wait to have their turn with her?<p>

Her stomach nearly emptied at the thought of it. They were going to hold her down and force her to please them, one after another. And there was nothing she could do to stop it. Tears burned her eyes as she pictured something she had feared since a close encounter in high school. You'd think living in a world full of walkers would be the biggest fear one would have on their mind right about now. It was just her luck that not only the world as she knew it was over, but now she was minutes away from being gangraped by men she thought were going to help them.

She wasn't stupid. She wasn't a vain person. She knew that she was average looking, at best. This wasn't about her being super hot and none of the boys could keep their hands off her. This was purely about her being possibly the last woman in the city. Hell, for all they knew, she could be one of the last in the world. She should have known that searching for others wouldn't lead to sanything good. She should've known that other survivors would be hostile towards newcomers.

She scolded herself for not knowing that, yet she still couldn't wrap her head around the concept. You'd think that being in a world where human numbers were dwindling, that running into a survivor, _any_ survivor, would be considered a blessing. It meant that there was still hope, that if a few others were still alive there might be more. But _no_. Instead, the only other survivors they found were hostile towards them and had every intent on harming the newcomers. Well, harming Cass, at least.

Part of her hoped that it would simply stay that way. She's rather their focus be on her than them turning their attention to the Dixon brothers. Something in the back of Cass's mind told her that these men wouldn't hurt her or kill her. Sure, they would use her body and probably toss her aside when they got bored of her, but something inside of her told her that they would let her live. Cass knew the chances of these men being interested in raping the Dixon brothers was less than likely. The only thing they would do to Merle and Daryl is torture and kill them. And she was not going to sit by and let that happen. Not to the only two men who put their lives on the line for her. She was nothing but a random girl to them the first time they met. A girl whose life really had no value to them. And still, they did everything they could, including taking on a horde of walkers just to make sure she lived to see another day. She would rather let these men kill her right where she stood than to allow anything to happen to Merle or Daryl. Not if she could help it.

"Where are you taking me?" Cass sobbed. At this point, she didn't even try to fight the tears. It was a fight that she was never going to win. Just the thought of someone forcing herself on her made her sick to the point where she could barely stand. Her legs wobbled underneath her as she was forced to walk forward.

"Somewhere where we can be alone. We don't need those rednecks trying to interfere with us." The leader told her simply.

How could this man be okay with doing this? Had he not had a sister or a mother before walkers roamed the earth? Was he really not thinking about them being stuck in the same situation as her?

"Please, don't do this." She begged. She knew it was useless to plead for such a thing, but she thought she should try anyways. Regardless of what she said, they were going to do this. She could see it in his eyes. There was no hope for Cass, and she knew it.

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><p>"What the hell are we going to do now?" Daryl asked, glancing over at his brother. His mind was still dazed by the events that had just unfolded before him. He felt useless, a feeling he wasn't used to. And he didn't like it one bit.<p>

Daryl cursed under his breath, his eyes falling to his cuffed wrists again. No matter how badly he wanted to help her, there was nothing he could do. Not from inside a locked jail cell and definitetly not with his hands cuffed together.

"There's nothing we can do. Not right now." Merle admitted. He didn't like it anymore than Daryl did, but it was the truth. Merle wasn't the type of guy who believed in God, but right now, he couldn't stop praying to Him. He was praying for the young girl who just got taken away from them, knowing exactly what those men had in store for her. Right now, she didn't have the protection of the Dixon brothers. Until he and Daryl could figure out their next move, she was on her own. "She'll be fine."

Daryl shifted, turning his body slightly to face his brother. He shot Merle a confused look. What the hell did that mean? How was she going to be fine? It was one girl, a small girl at that, against four guys. Assuming that there weren't any more of them lurking around in the building. Or wherever the hell it was where they had taken them.

"She was fine before we met us. Hell, she was on her own for how long before we found her? If she's shown us anything it's that she's a fighter and she's not going to give up. We just have to give her time. She'll figure it out." Merle had complete faith in the young girl. He had to. He knew that she wasn't going to give up easily. It was true, Merle didn't know Cass as much as he probably should, given the situation they were in from the beginning. He should have known everything about her, he should have made more of an effort to figure out how she thought and how she responded to certain situations. But he knew she was a fighter, he had seen that in her eyes from the very beginning. She would figure it out. Hopefully before it was too late.

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><p>The leader of the men threw a door open and spun Cass around. He shot her a smile that sent a shiver up her spine before throwing her into the room. He glanced back at one of the men and nodded his head towards the girl as she landed on the cold ground. "Keep an eye on her, Tim. I'll be back in a minute."<p>

"I will, Andrew. Don't worry."

Cass sneered at the leader as he turned his back towards her. Andrew. So, the piece of worthless scum had a name, huh?

Cass watched as the other men turned on their heels and exited the chilly room. They closed the door behind them, leaving her alone with Tim. Cass watched him carefully, trying to figure him out before they came back for her. He had a look of sympathy on his face as he took a seat by the door, his gun still clutched tightly in his hands. She studied his soft features as she frantically thought about a way to manipulate him into letting her go.

"Please. Don't let them do this to me. To us." Cass pleaded. The look that lurked deep in his eyes told her that he hated this just as much as she did. There was something about the way he was watching her that made her feel as though he would be her way out of here. All she could do was hope and pray that her gut feeling wasn't wrong. She couldn't afford to be wrong about anything right now. Her life and the lives of the Dixon brothers depended on it. On her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. There's nothing I can do." He told her simply, giving her a sympathetic shrug.

"Please. Don't you have a sister? A mother? Would you want this to happen to them? Please. Don't let them rape me." Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke the words out loud. Her heart was pounding dangerously in her chest as she felt her time dwindle down.

"Everyone I know is dead, ma'am. Bringing them into this ain't going to make this any easier for you."

"Please. Don't let them do this. Help me." She repeated through gritted teeth. She was running out of patience. If this guy wasn't going to bother helping her, she'd have to think of another way to get out of here. She had to get back to Daryl and Merle, and she was ready to do anything to do it. Even if it meant sacrificing her body in the process.

The door swung open before Tim could respond to her pleading. Not that his response would have been a positive one. She saw the pity for her in his eyes, but she also saw fear. Cass knew he was just as scared of Andrew as she was. Tim was a lost cause. She would have to do this one her own.

"Get out of here, Tim. Go keep an eye on those rednecks. I'll take care of this one."

Tim did as he was told, without muttering another word. He got to his feet and gave Cass one last glance before exiting the room, leaving her and Andrew alone.

Cass stumbled back helplessly as the man closed the distance between them. He grabbed a rough hold of her face, squeezing her cheeks together as he pushed her backwards. Her back collided with the wall painfully as she lost her breath. Her hands were pinned between her body and his, unable to move them away from her attacker. He had her pinned, right where he wanted her.

"You're so pretty, did anyone ever tell you that?"

Cass shuddered as his warm breath hit her face. She tried to turn away to avoid looking at him, but he pulled her back so he could stare into her eyes. "I asked you a question, bitch. Answer me."

"N-No." Cass forced out. Her entire body shook from fear as he held her in place. Her mind raced, desperately trying to come up with a way to get out of the situation.

"You fucking those rednecks?"

Her eyes burned as more tears fell down her cheeks like an endless river. She shook her head in response.

"Good. I don't like sloppy seconds."

"What are you going to do to them?" She managed to get out in a whisper.

He flashed his teeth, a grin spreading across his thin lips. "You'd like to know, wouldn't you?"

Cass's eyes fell past his arm. There, she saw her saving grace. A knife that was attached to the belt wrapped around his thigh. All she had to do was calm down and play into him. If she played her cards right, in a matter of minutes she would be out of here, away from him, and reunited with the brothers she had been forced to leave behind.

Cass forced her body to relax in his grip, her cuffed hands opening towards his lower stomach. She knew exactly how to get out of this situation, how to get him to let his guard down. There was nothing she wouldn't do for Daryl and Merle, and she had every intention of following through with her plan.

She gave him a small smile, forcing her body to remain calm and play along. "I would."

Her voice was low, almost seductive as she gazed up into his eyes. He chuckled under his breath, his grip on her face loosening slightly. His eyes studied every inch of her face. "I'm going to kill them. We don't need rednecks walking around our base. All we need is their weapons. And now that we have that, we don't need them anymore."

Cass's eyes trailed down his figure, taking in the body that was pressed hard against hers. Her hands roamed his chest, feeling the solid body underneath his shirt. She dug her fingers into his shirt, trailing her hands back down his body. Cass did her best to give him the best seductive smile she could muster up at the moment. She tilted her head up to look at him and cocked an eyebrow. "Good. They deserve it."

He laughed, his finger tracing over the side of her face as he smirked. "You like that, don't you?"

Cass's hands rubbed circles on his stomach as she pushed her hips forward, grinding her pelvis against his crotch. She wrapped a leg around his, trying to pull him closer than he already was.

Not a second passed before his lips came crushing down against hers. He forced his tongue into her mouth, one of his hands pressed against her throat while the other roamed her body. She forced a moan into his mouth, thrusting her body against his. She felt his erection grow and press against her and did her best to play along, despite the fact that this situation made her feel disgusted with herself. She just kept telling herself that this was for the two men who had been locked up in a jail cell, moments away from being murdered without remorse as though they were walkers. She did her best to fake her arousal as her body writhed against his, as if to beg for more.

He pulled away from her, resting his forehead against hers as he opened his eyes. "I knew you would like this."

She smiled again and cocked an eyebrow. "You know what I would like even more?"

He chucked breathlessly. "What?"

"This."

Without wasting another moment, Cass grabbed the knife that was attached to his thigh and plunged it into his neck. He finally let go of her, stumbling to the ground as his knife stuck out of his flesh. Cass walked over to him, standing over the poor excuse of a man as he cowered, his entire body paralyzed from pain and shock. There was no remorse on Cass's features as she stood over him, watching him writhe in pain and anger.

"Where are the keys?" Her voice was stone cold with every word that she spoke. There was no pity left in her for this man. He just stared at her, his eyes wide in shock as the blood poured down his arm. "Answer me, _bitch_. Where are the keys?"

With one hand struggling to hold back the gushing blood, the other finally pointed at the front pocket of his pants. Cass bend down and pulled the keys out of his pants as quickly as she could. Cass struggled to twist her hand in a way that could reach the lock that held her wrists together. She tried her best to ignore the blood gathered before her that seemed to pour out of Andrew as she fought to uncuff herself. Pulling on her wrist in a way that shot pain through her entire arm, Cass was finally able to uncuff herself.

She walked across the room and pulled open the lockers that sat in the corner. Rummaging through them, she came across a uniform that was neatly folded overtop of combat boots. It was going to hang off her body and she knew she would barely be able to walk in the boots, but at this point it was her only option, and she could care less. As long as she had clothes on and something to protect her feet from rotting corpses, it would do just fine.

Putting the keys between her teeth, Cass quickly dressed herself, glancing back every few seconds to make sure the man was still on the floor. He hadn't even tried to pull the knife out of the side of his throat. Cass knew he wouldn't bother to, either. Pulling a blade out of your skin is a hundred times worse than the pain of it going in. In such a delicate area, she was more than sure that he wasn't about to try to help himself. He was rendered helpless on the floor until someone happened to stumble upon his body. They could try and help him, if they decided he was worth it. She wasn't going to lie, a part of her hoped that no one would find him bleeding out in the room.

Cass tied up the boots as tightly as she could. She figured the tighter they were around her ankles the less they would hang off her. Her toes didn't come anywhere close to the edge of the boots, but she couldn't afford to be picky right now. She had to get back to the jail cell and get the Dixon brothers out before anyone could harm them.

Cass was reaching for the door knob when an alarm started blarring overhead. She froze, her heart nearly stopping in her chest. They knew what she had done. Oh, shit. They were coming for her. Taking a step back nervously, she heard heavy footsteps running by the room outside accompanied by frantic yells.

"Geeks have breached the premises! Get out there!" A passing man yelled from the other side of the door.

Cass threw the door opening, not bothering to give it another thought. She knew that the soldiers she would pass in the halls would be too preoccupied with the walkers to give her a second glance. Now was her time to get back to the jail cell and get the guys out.

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><p>"What the fuck is that?" Daryl asked, his hands clutching the bars in front of him as he listened to the alarm ring. He heard muffled yells in the hall, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. All he knew was that nothing good could come from this.<p>

Tim kept his hands firmly on his gun as he glanced back at the alarm stuck against the wall. He knew exactly what this was. If they already breached the foregrounds, geeks were already in the building, getting closer to them with each passing second.

"The geeks. They're back." Tim muttered, turning back to face the Dixon brothers. Fear had consumed his features as his entire body shook.

"So what the hell are you doing? Let us out of here!" Merle growled, taking a stance beside his brother.

"I-I can't."

"What? You've got to be kidding me! You're going to leave us in here with walkers heading this way? Are you fucking serious?" Daryl was beyond angry as he slammed his fists against the bars. This day could _not_ get any worse for them. If this soldier didn't let them out and un-cuff them, they were stuck in here. If the walkers happened to find the room and get in, they wouldn't leave without feasting on the flesh of the brothers. They would never leave the room. And neither would the Dixon brothers.

Before Tim could speak, the door was thrown open. Cass came running into the room, a pistol held tightly in her grip as she closed the distant between her and Tim. She pressed the pistol against his temple before he had a chance to retaliate.

"Drop your gun." She ordered. Cass wasn't surprised when he did what he was told without a second of hesitation. He tossed it onto the ground, lifting his arms up in an obvious surrender.

Cass cocked her head towards the jail cell, digging the barrell of the pistol deeper into his temple. "Unlock the cell."

She followed him as he reached in his pocket and pulled out the keys. Cass moved in time with his footsteps as he reached forward and unlocked the cell. When he was done, Cass grabbed his arm and pulled him back so the brothers could get on the other side of the cell.

Merle walked to the other side of the jail cell door, yanking the keys out from where they sat. He feverishly sorted through them, trying to figure out which key it was that would free Daryl from his restraints. When he finally found it, he handed the clutter of keys over to his brother, who quickly returned the favour.

"How do we get out of here?" Cass asked Tim as she kept her gun pressed against his head. This man had a chance to help her, he had a chance to free her and help the three survivors get out unharmed. Instead, he chose to obey orders he knew were wrong. He left her in that room to be raped and didn't even give it a second thought. She didn't give two shits about what happened to this man. Not now. She could never bring herself to blow out his brains, but at the same time she wouldn't stop a walker if it happened to get a hold of him. As far as she was concerned, there was no reason to stand back and let a woman be abused, which was exactly what he had done to her.

Cass wasn't surprised when Tim didn't say another word. "How do we get out of here? Tell me, now!"

The truth was, when the soldiers had originally taken them into the camp, Cass had been so shaken that she couldn't remember the twists and turns they had taken her to get her to the room she was currently in. She was too worried, too terrified to make note of where they were taking her. Now, all she did was regret being so caught up in her racing thoughts at the time. If Tim didn't tell them how to get out of here, they might not make it out at all.

Cass jumped back, startled by the sudden movement, when Daryl leaped forward, grabbing Tim by the collar of his shirt. He threw him up against the wall and held him in place. He gritted his teeth, "Where the hell is the exit? If you don't tell us, so help me God, I will make damn sure those walkers find you."

"Around the corner. There's a stairway. Follow the hall, you'll find the exit." Tim gave up.

Daryl finally let go of Tim, slamming him against the wall one more time. Turning his back on the shaken soldier, Daryl bend down to retrieve Tim's gun before turning back to Cass and Merle. He was already dressed, though his clothes were disheveled from being thrown on so quickly. He didn't give it a second thought. He just wanted them to get the hell out of there.

"Are you ready?" Daryl asked as he picked up his crossbow from the desk beside the door. He double checked the amount of arrows he had to make sure those bastards hadn't taken any. They hadn't. And for their sake, they were lucky. Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and grabbed a hold of Merle's shotgun, turning to glance at him.

Merle jumped into his shoes, lacing them as quickly as he could before standing up and making his way back to Daryl and Cass. He zipped his jeans shut and redid his belt, his eyes darting back and forth between them.

"I'm ready. Let's go," Merle grunted as Daryl tossed the shotgun at him.

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><p>The smell of the invading walkers overtook the halls as the three survivors followed Tim's directions. They had left him there, unarmed and alone. A part of each survivor felt guilt for doing such a thing. In a time like this, everyone needed to stick together, not pull apart. But after the way the soldiers had treated them, they figured they would get what they deserved.<p>

Daryl walked down the hall, carefully pressing himself up against the wall as it disappeared around the corner. He took in a deep breath before jumping out, his crossbow aimed forward. No walkers, thank God. Cass followed closely behind him, the handgun she had taken off the ground held firmly in her grip. Merle held up the back, his head constantly turning to make sure they remained alone.

The survivors made their way up the stairs, their quick footsteps eluding little to no noise. Each of them knew how vital it was that they stay as close to silent as possible. Any little noise could draw a horde of walkers their way, and that was something they wanted to avoid altogether.

"What if he's lying?" Cass's voice was so low the Dixon brothers barely heard her.

"Then we'll go back and kick his ass." Daryl whispered back.

Merle shot another glance behind him, feeling uneasy about being the last in the line. Anything could sneak up on him and if he wasn't careful enough, it could be the end for him. But he'd rather him be in the back and have something happen to him than to Daryl or Cass. It couldn't be any other way. Not if he had anything to say about it.

Daryl came to a stop so suddenly Cass walked into him. She muttered an apology under her breath as she looked up at him when he glanced back at her. He cocked his head towards the door that stood in front of him. Without Daryl saying a word, both Cass and Merle knew exactly what was about to happen. There could be anything waiting for them on the other side of that door. It was anyone's guess at what it could be. All they could do was pray to a God that never seemed to be listening and wish for the best.

Everyone tightened their grip on the weapons they had chosen. This could be it. They could throw open that door and be faced with nothing but walkers. Then again, they could also open the door and find nothing but their car waiting for them. Damn, how fortunate would that be?

"Get ready, guys." Daryl warned them, taking a hold of the doorknob.

Cass and Merle nodded in unison as Daryl inched the door open, cautious to avoid making any further noise that could draw unwanted attention their way.

A defeated sigh slipped through Cass's lips when she saw what was waiting for them on the other side.

There were walkers. Everywhere.

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><p><strong>So, what did everyone think? I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! Don't forget to drop a review and let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading!<strong>


	8. Dangerous

**I want to take another moment to thank everyone who has taken the time to read and review this story. I also want to say sorry for taking so damn long to update it! My work schedule is nothing but insane, and after staring at a computer screen for upwards of eight hours a day, the last thing I want to do is go home and stare at another computer screen.**

**But I simply had to continue with this story. I have so, so much in store for Merle, Daryl and Cass, and I cannot stop writing this story. Everyone must see what I have in store for these survivors.  
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**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I'm sorry if it seems smaller than you'd like, but I have to go to work in a few hours, and I thought I'd give you all a little something for before the weekend.  
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**Also, I want to apologize ahead of time if there are any spelling errors. I've had an incredibly tough time at work this week, so I've had a few beers to try and relax myself. Hope you all don't mind!  
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**Thank you all for sticking to this story! It makes me want to continue writing just knowing there are actually people out there who enjoy my writing. Enjoy, everyone!  
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><p><em>Cass sat in the living room of her family's small apartment. She was seated at the edge of the couch on the opposite side of the front door. She was leaning forward, her elbows resting on her bare knees as she waited dreadfully for her parent's return.<em>

_ What was she going to tell them? "Oh, hi, mom and dad. How was your night? How was mine, you might ask? Oh, it was plenty eventful. First, I watched as a man took a nice chunk of Joanne's face, then I beat him to death with my baseball bat. Oh, yeah, by the way, I left the bloody mess in Joanne's room for you to clean up. Good times, here at home!"_

_ Her head fell between her knees as the scene played out before her once again. _

_She had acted in the moment, seeing a man on top of her older sister as he tore out her flesh. Instinctively, Cass had grabbed the thing closest to her, her own baseball bat that she had left in her sister's room a few nights prior. She had bashed his head in harder than she had ever hit a baseball in her life. She hadn't stopped swinging her favourite bat until the man had stopped moving altogether. When Cass had finally ceased bringing her bat down against the man's head, nearly everything around them was splattered in his blood._

_ Cass had ran to her sister's side, bending down beside her and taking a steady hold of her hand. She vaguely remembered saying something to her sister, tears steaming down her face endlessly as she gripped onto her sister tightly for what would be the last time. The man had managed to take two bites out of the older girl, and Cass had a painful thought that the gaping hole in Joanne's neck was going to be the one that did her in._

_ Joanne had stopped Cass from leaving her side when she tried to get up and call an ambulance. Joanne had tried to speak to her little sister, but only blood came from her mouth, pouring down the side of her face more and more with every word she struggled to get out._

_ "Jo, I have to call an ambulance. I'll be right back, I promise."_

_ But Joanne shook her head as best as she could, given the state she was in. Cass realized why she refused the help hours later. Joanne didn't want to die alone. She wanted to die with someone who loved her, someone who would've stopped at nothing to keep her safe. Someone who would've killed for her. She wanted to die with her sister by her side._

_ "Okay. Don't worry. I'm here. Shh. Stay still." Cass whispered, pulling strands of her sister's dark hair away from her eyes. "Mom and dad will be home soon, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Just hang in there."_

_ As much as Joanne wanted to, she couldn't. The fever hit her fast and hard, leaving her entire body aching. The open wounds started to burn, making her wish the man had killed her instantly so she wouldn't have to deal with the pain he had inflicted upon her._

_ It didn't take long before Joanne stopped moving. Shortly after, she stopped breathing. Terrified, Cass lowered her head to her sister's chest, trying to find a sign that she was still with her. But the heartbeat that should have beaten against Cass's ear was nowhere to be found. There was nothing but silence in her sister's room now._

_ Cass heard the front door open and her eyes shot up as she watched her parents walk into the apartment. Cass read their emotions almost immediately as they took in the sight before them. Their youngest daughter, covered in blood._

_ "My God! What happened? Are you okay?" Her mom asked as she rushed over to Cass._

_ Cass didn't say a word, she couldn't. She merely nodded, her eyes falling to the floor when she felt her mother's arms wrap around her in a loving embrace._

_ "Cassidy, is everything okay? Where's Joanne?" Her dad questioned as he stepped closer to the two women._

_ A shaky breath escaped from Cass's dry lips as she shut her eyes in a failed attempt to stop the tears from falling down her face. She felt her mother let go of her, running off into Joanne's room in a hurry. It was almost as if she could feel that something terrible had happened to her first child._

_ "Oh my God! Joanne! What happened?"_

_ Cass sat straight up when she heard the words her mom nearly shouted from her sister's bedroom. Something about the tone in her mom's voice, something about the choice of words that she had used…was Joanne still alive?_

_ A scream filled the cold apartment air. Her mom's scream. Cass jumped to her feet, but her father put a steady hand on her shoulder to keep her in place._

_ "Stay here." He ordered moments before he disappeared further into the apartment._

_ Cass's heart beat like a drum in her chest. Her vision blurred, leaving her nearly blind. She swore that at that moment, she felt her heart stop, if only for a moment._

_ "What are you doing? Get off her, Joanne!" The man hollered, his voice lowering the further he went away from Cass._

_ It wasn't more than a few moments later that Cass had heard another scream fill the air. This time, it was her father's._

_ She should have listened to him. Her father always knew best when it came to his little girl. But she didn't. She couldn't just sit there and listen to the screams of her parents. No, she had to go to their aid, the same way they would have gone to hers with no questions asked._

_ But the scene before her was not something that Cass could have anticipated. In fact, nothing in the world could have prepared her for what she had walked into._

And now it was their turn. It was _her _turn.

Daryl had explained the situation and it didn't look good. There were only three of them, a horde of walkers outside, and not nearly enough ammunition to bring them through it. They couldn't be hasty about this. No, they needed a plan.

Daryl brought the door closer to them, edging it inch by inch, cautious not to make any noise that might draw very much unwanted attention to them. Once the door was securely shut tight, he turned around to face the only two people he would lay his life down for. He had hoped doing such a thing would have never had to come up, but given the current situation; it didn't leave him much choice. Out of all of them, he felt as though he was the one who needed to make a sacrifice that would ensure the others would live.

Cass was too young to die. She had barely begun to live her life when the world had been destroyed by the hungry, desperate walkers. She was the last ray of innocence in a world that had been completely corrupted by darkness. She had to keep going, to find somewhere safe and secure where she could live out the rest of her years. She wasn't going to die here. She wasn't going to, because Daryl would sooner die than let anything happen to her.

And Daryl had to die knowing his only brother was still alive and kicking. Daryl could live with the idea of himself dying if it meant his brother could live to see another day. But the thought of something happening to Merle while Daryl was still alive was just too much to even think about. The guilt alone would kill Daryl before a walker even got close to him.

"I saw our car out there." Daryl said, finally breaking the silence the survivors had found themselves trapped in. His eyes darted back to Merle as he held out his hand. "You still have the keys?"

"Of course, little brother." Merle eyed Daryl with suspicion. He knew what Daryl was going to do. And there was no way in hell he was going to let him do it. No Dixon was going to sacrifice himself to the walkers.

"Good. Toss them over to me."

"Wait, what? What do you mean? We saw all the walkers out there. Are you insane? What exactly do you plan on doing once you get to the other side of that door?"

Daryl shrugged. "I'm going to make a run for the car. I'll lead them away. Once they're far enough, I'll come back and get you guys. I'll honk so you know I'm out there. It'll be just like the pharmacy."

Merle's eyes narrowed at the casual tone in his brother's voice. Merle had to give it to him; Daryl always did know how to remain calm in a dangerous situation. But this was pushing it. Did he really think he could pull that off twice? The fact that they had managed that once was a miracle in itself. To do it once more was just testing whatever luck they still had on their side.

"What? We pulled it off once before. Who's to say we can't pull it off again?"

"I say." Cass jumped in. If he thought he was going to pull a stunt like that, he had another thing coming. She would almost rather wait right here in the stairwell with the hope that the walkers would disperse outside in a few days than let him try to pull that. "This isn't a movie, Daryl. You go out there and try that shit, you're going to die."

"Well, I don't see either of you guys coming up with a better plan!" Daryl growled. Damnit, if he was willing to put his life on the line for these people, why wouldn't they accept it and move on?

"About how far was the car?" Cass asked curiously. The look on her face assured both brothers that she had something up her sleeve.

"Not far. Maybe 50 feet, give or take."

Cass turned to Merle. This time _she_ held out her hand. "Give me the keys."

Merle snorted. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Yeah, like hell you're going out there. Not without us at least clearing the way. And even then, you bet your ass we're going to be coming with you."

Cass turned to face Daryl, trying her best to seem as confident in her decision as possible. Because Lord knows her chest was pounding like a humming bird inside her, desperately try to break free. "I played a lot of sports in high school. I can run fast. I can run to the car without any of them getting anywhere near me. You see how slow those bastards stumble around?"

"Oh, yeah, we see how slow they can be, Cass. We also saw that there are at least thirty of them out there, just waiting for someone to try and be the hero." Merle assured her.

"Look, if you guys want to get out of here alive, I suggest you let me do this. How many times have you put your lives on the line for one another? For me? Let me do it for you guys, even if it's just this once." She was determined to take this one on on her own. "Look, the bottom line is, I'm a lot smaller than both of you. I can sneak past them easier than you can. And I can _run_. And believe me; I'm going to run like hell. I'll do exactly as Daryl said; I'll bring them as far away from the door as I can and I'll come back and get you."

"She's right." Merle admitted, as much as he hated to. The thought of something, _anything _happening to her drove him crazy. But she had brought up a valid point. He had seen her run before and she moved like something he had never seen. If any of them could pull that off, it was her.

"You've got to be kidding me." Daryl wasn't having this. _Any _of this.

Cass was beyond the point of being understanding now. She had enough of his doubt. If they didn't make a move now, it would be too late. As much as she hated to acknowledge it, the chance of more and more walkers flocking to the premises was higher than them leaving. If she had learned one thing since walkers began roaming the city it was that they are relentless sons of bitches. It's not like they had anything better to do than wander around aimlessly. If they got a single whiff of something they could feast on, you can bet your life that they're going to be hanging around a lot longer than a living person would ever care to.

Cass turned her back to Daryl, facing Merle directly as she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. "Merle."

Without saying another word, Merle handed his keys over to the young girl. Cass ignored the groan that came from Daryl as she bent down, putting the keys on the ground beside her. She tightened her laces the best she could, strapping them tightly to her calves to try and keep the oversized boots steady for once she started running.

Cass got to her feet, keys in hand, and walked past Daryl, closing the distance between herself and the door. She stopped and glanced over her shoulder when she felt a strong hand grip onto her arm. Her eyes met Daryl's instantly.

"Be careful."

She tried to flash a smile to try and reassure both the Dixon brothers and herself. "Always."

It was only a few short seconds later that Cass found herself crouched down, edging closer to the brick wall of the building and on the other side of the door. She heard the door click shut behind her and could feel the presence of the Dixon brothers on the other side. She could feel them but she couldn't depend on them. Not right now.

The odds were dangerous and they were stacked against her.

She was on her own.


End file.
